The United States carried out a fresh wave of air strikes on Iranian military targets late Monday, hitting key installations along the country's southern coastline in a bid to weaken Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
In a statement, CENTCOM said the operation concluded at 10.15pm ET on July 13 after a five-hour mission that targeted military facilities in Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas.
According to the command, US forces used precision-guided munitions to strike Iranian coastal defence systems, missile and drone sites, as well as maritime military assets linked to operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said the strikes were intended to further degrade Iran's capability to attack commercial vessels in the strategically important waterway.
The command added that more than 50,000 US service members remain deployed across the Middle East, describing American forces as "vigilant, lethal and ready."
The latest operation marked the third consecutive night of US military strikes against Iran under orders from President Donald Trump, according to CENTCOM.
Speaking at the White House earlier on Monday, Trump said US forces were systematically dismantling Iran's military capabilities connected to the Strait of Hormuz while reinstating a blockade targeting the country.
"We're attacking them tonight, and we’re taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the Strait of Hormuz," Trump told reporters.
Despite the escalating military campaign, Trump said a diplomatic agreement with Tehran remained possible.
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