The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Tuesday night that its forces have begun launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM noted that strikes are taking place as American forces prepare to resume the naval blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas.
At 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (11:00 p.m. Israel time), CENTCOM officially announced that "US forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas."
It added, "There are currently more than 20 US Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East. American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready."
Iranian state media reported strikes on Qeshm Island, as well as sounds of explosions in Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas.
At the same time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it destroyed multiple warehouses containing weapons, vessel parts, and aircraft components at the Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain and struck the MQ9 drone deployment ramp at the Ali Al-Salem base in Kuwait, destroying or damaging several US drones.
The IRGC stated that the strikes were "in response to the US military aggressions against several coastal stations of the Iranian Armed Forces. Retaliatory action and punishment of the aggressors will continue as long as US crimes persist. Should such aggression be repeated, they will face surprise responses. As long as American mischief remains in the region, not a single drop of oil or gas will be exported from the area, and these aggressions will result in nothing but further delay in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz."
The official Spokesman for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense, Major General Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, reported that throughout the evening, the Armed Forces detected one ballistic missile, five cruise missiles, and 33 hostile drones, all of which were intercepted.
According to the spokesperson, the Iranian aggression has resulted in the targeting of several vital and civilian facilities, with shrapnel falling in various locations across the country, leading to material damage.
Additionally, a Kuwaiti naval vessel was targeted, resulting in injuries to four members of the Armed Forces, who received the necessary medical care and treatment; their condition is stable.