Tehran, Iran. U.S. forces launched a new wave of strikes on Iran on Monday, marking the ninth consecutive day of attacks, as concerns grew over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said two oil tankers had exploded and been immobilised.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes were intended to degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial vessels in the strait’s shipping lanes.
U.S. strikes
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said it had begun “a new wave of strikes” against Iranian capabilities used to target commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. It provided no further details.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing its reporters, said U.S. missiles struck several Iranian cities early on Monday. Explosions were heard in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini, Tasnim reported.
Shipping tensions
The attacks are part of an escalating cycle of strikes between the United States and Iran after an interim ceasefire agreement signed a month ago unravelled.
The dispute has intensified the struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting energy supplies and raising concerns about global inflation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would continue targeting Iran while it attacked commercial shipping.
“The Strait of Hormuz are international waterways, and they continue to launch against the ships in that international waterway,” Rubio said.
“As long as Iran insists on controlling an international waterway, we’re gonna have to respond to that. The United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution.”
Iranian response
Iran said two oil tankers had exploded and been immobilised.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also announced a surprise strike against what it described as “the enemy’s special operations headquarters in Syria’s Al-Tanf area.”
