U.S. forces unleashed new strikes on Iran late Tuesday, targeting the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik as well as Qeshm Island. Explosions were reported across the three strategic locations before U.S. Central Command confirmed the operation.
CENTCOM stated that American forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets at 12 p.m. ET. The strikes followed recent IRGC attempts to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members in the region.
Iran has attacked eight commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade on ships traveling to or from Iranian ports resumed on July 14. Four of those attacks have occurred since last Monday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
The latest bombardment marked a sharp escalation after roughly a month without U.S. military action inside Iran. American forces recently destroyed Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island after they were deemed a threat to shipping, prompting Iranian missile fire at U.S. installations in Jordan and a drone intercepted by the United Arab Emirates.
The renewed fighting comes months after the U.S. and Israel launched operations against Iran in February. President Trump later paused the campaign as both sides pursued a broader agreement to end hostilities and restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but those diplomatic efforts have since collapsed.
The violence has again unsettled global energy markets, as the strait previously carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Iran’s crude exports have dropped sharply under the American blockade, further squeezing Tehran’s already strained economy.