The US has carried out a new wave of strikes on Iranian military targets
US Central Command has announced the start of a new wave of air strikes against military targets in Iran.
CENTCOM stated that, on the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, US forces are carrying out further strikes against Iranian military targets. According to the command, the operation aims to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten civilian sailors and commercial vessels passing through regional waters.
According to the Associated Press, this marks the twelfth consecutive night of US strikes against Iran. The agency notes that the hostilities are taking place against a backdrop of mutual threats from both sides regarding civilian infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump has stated that the United States will destroy one bridge or power station each time Iran attacks vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has stated that the country will adhere to the principle of ‘an eye for an eye’. According to him, any aggression against Iran, particularly against its infrastructure, will be met with a “powerful and decisive response”.
Iranian state media reported that US missiles had struck near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramsir and Andimeshk in the west of the country. It was also reported that two people had been killed as a result of a missile strike on Shalamcheh on the border with Iraq.
Meanwhile, Kuwait’s military command stated that air defence forces had repelled drone attacks following what the statement described as “Iranian aggression”.
Amid the escalation, diplomatic efforts have so far shown no public signs of progress. Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, which is one of the mediators in the conflict, whilst a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of the Interior, Ali Zeinivand, stated that diplomatic contacts are ongoing and the parties continue to exchange messages.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States remains open to negotiations with Iran; however, he said that Tehran is currently “not taking this process seriously”. He added that the US’s top priority remains the protection of international shipping.
Against the backdrop of the hostilities, the US President also stated that American forces could strike the Pickaxe Mountain underground nuclear facility, which is located near the uranium enrichment complex in Natanz.
