- US military launched tenth consecutive strikes degrading Iranian maritime capabilities.
- Strikes followed US soldier deaths; Iran declared ‘full-scale war’.
- Diplomacy continues amidst conflict; Strait of Hormuz incidents disputed.
The US military launched another round of strikes on Iran, saying the attacks were intended to “further degrade” Tehran’s ability to target ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The operation marked the 10th consecutive night of US strikes amid rapidly escalating tensions between the two countries.
The latest military action came after US President Donald Trump vowed to punish Iran following the deaths of American service members. Trump said Iran had been hit “very hard” during the previous night’s strikes, which he said were carried out “in honour” of three US soldiers recently killed in attacks linked to the conflict.
According to Trump, the earlier strikes targeted Iranian military and communications facilities as Washington intensified its campaign against Tehran.
Pentagon Identifies Two Soldiers Killed In Jordan
US Central Command (Centcom) said on X that the latest strikes targeted Iranian military command centres, maritime assets, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems. It added that commercial shipping continued to move through the Strait of Hormuz despite the heightened tensions.
On Tuesday night, the US Department of Defense identified two of the American soldiers killed in the Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan over the weekend. They were Pvt Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, and Lt Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii.
The Pentagon had earlier said three US soldiers were killed in recent attacks, with two dying in Jordan and another in Iraq.
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Iran Declares ‘Full-Scale War’ But Diplomacy Continues
Iran said it had targeted sites in Bahrain, Jordan and Syria, while President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that the country was now engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States.
Despite the intensifying military confrontation, Tehran said diplomatic messages continued to be exchanged between the two sides through intermediaries, even after a ceasefire collapsed.
The simultaneous continuation of military operations and indirect diplomacy highlights the increasingly complex nature of the conflict.
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Conflicting Accounts Emerge Over Strait of Hormuz Incident
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that US strikes the previous night hit several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini.
Iranian state media also reported that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed the vessels had been using what it described as an “unsafe and hazardous southern route” through the waterway before exploding and coming to a halt.
Centcom disputed the IRGC’s account of the incident, offering a conflicting version of events as both sides continued to trade claims amid the escalating conflict.
