The US Army on Monday night launched a third wave of strikes on targets in Iran in as many days.
In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it completed the latest wave of strikes against Iran at 10:15 p.m. ET on July 13.
“During the five-hour mission, US forces successfully struck military targets across Iran including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas to further degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping. CENTCOM forces employed precision munitions against Iranian coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, and maritime capabilities," the statement said.
CENTCOM noted that more than 50,000 US service members are currently deployed across the Middle East and concluded by saying, “American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready."
In an initial statement announcing the strikes, CENTCOM said, “At 4:45 p.m. ET today, US Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief's direction."
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz," the statement stressed.
Iranian media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas. Subsequent explosions were also heard on the islands of Qeshm and Kisch.
Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain overnight, concurrent to the US strikes, with official sources in the kingdom reporting that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed hostile airborne targets launched from Iran.
Earlier, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported that an Indian national was killed in an Iranian cruise missile attack targeting two oil tankers in the southern Strait of Hormuz, within Oman’s territorial waters.
Eight additional crew members were injured in the strike, four of them seriously. The Emirati Defense Ministry confirmed that the fires aboard both tankers have been brought under control, emphasizing that the nation "reserves the full right to respond to this escalation."
In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued an aggressive statement directly confronting Washington: "A few hours ago, the US military - having learned no lessons from its repeated defeats - attempted to move vessels along an illegal route. Two tankers, misled by the United States, turned off their navigation systems and ignored repeated warnings from the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Security Control Center. In doing so, they endangered the shipping lane and chose to pass through a mined area. The tankers were struck and disabled."
The IRGC added a direct threat aimed at regional nations and international shipping companies: "The IRGC Naval Forces make it clear to all: cooperation with the aggressor enemy will yield nothing but regret, losses, delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the creation of a global energy crisis."
The latest US strikes came after President Donald Trump vowed in an interview with Hugh Hewitt that the US would “hit Iran very hard".
The President said that Pickaxe Mountain, the underground, heavily fortified nuclear tunnel complex located near the Natanz enrichment facility where Iran is believed to have an undeclared uranium enrichment plant, is a possible target.
“Pickax is a possible target for a nice big fat shot right in the front door. And I think that maybe you'll see that," he said.
Earlier on Monday, Trump announced that the US would reinstate the naval blockade on Iran, which was lifted after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding recently.
"The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving," he wrote on social media.
“All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately," he added.
Responding to Trump’s announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media, "POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service."
"Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER. 20% is of course too much. We will be fair," he concluded.