WASHINGTON — The U.S. military carried out a fresh round of airstrikes against targets in Iran as tensions mounted over the collapse of a fragile ceasefire, with U.S. officials saying the operation was aimed at degrading Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and dozens of small boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The military said the operation was intended to reduce Iran's capacity to attack international maritime traffic.
The strikes followed attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington blamed on Iran. The United States also reinstated oil-related sanctions, revoking a license that had allowed Iran to sell oil, according to U.S. officials.
Iran's top joint military command condemned the strikes, describing them as an act of aggression and warning that Iranian armed forces would deliver what it called a "crushing response." Tehran also said it would not accept U.S. interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
The renewed military action came after U.S. President Donald Trump declared that an interim ceasefire agreement with Iran was "over," even as U.S. and Iranian officials continued technical discussions aimed at reducing tensions. Two U.S. officials said no additional American strikes had been launched in the hours following the latest operation and that diplomatic contacts were continuing.
No independently verified casualty figures were immediately available, and Iranian authorities had not released an official assessment of damage from the latest strikes. The situation remained fluid, with further details still being verified.
