Arya News - US says it is attacking IRGC targets following ‘attempted attacks’ on ships in Strait of Hormuz.
The United States military says it is conducting new strikes against Iran as fighting renews between the two countries.
The Middle East-based Central Command (CENTCOM) of the US military said on Tuesday that it was hitting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets.
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Iran has previously responded to similar US attacks, so the strikes risk sparking a new cycle of fighting.
Iranian semiofficial news agency Tasnim reported explosions in the south of the country, including in Konarak, Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island.
Tuesday’s strikes follow an exchange of attacks on Sunday when the US military struck Larak Island in southern Iran and Tehran retaliated with missile launches against a base housing American troops in Jordan.
The fighting on Sunday saw the first attacks by both countries since July. The administration of US President Donald Trump had said that it was shifting its strategy from military strikes to intense economic pressure on Iran.
The US has imposed a naval siege on Iranian ports while threatening Tehran’s trade partners with secondary sanctions.
But Iran continues to assert its control over Hormuz – a major artery for the global energy trade. However, in recent weeks, Trump and his aides have said that the US is managing to get millions of barrels of oil through the strait daily despite the Iranian blockade.
Still, attacks on ships around the strait have been reported almost daily.
On Monday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said an oil tanker was hit by three “unknown projectiles” while transiting through Hormuz.
More to come…