'To hold Iranian forces accountable': US launches fresh strikes on Iran as tensions flare over Hormuz attacks

The United States launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on early Monday (Sunday local time), with the Pentagon saying the operation was aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.The strikes came after the US accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of targeting commercial vessels in the strategic waterway, a key route for global oil and gas shipments.“At 5 pm ET today, US Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.

CENTCOM added that President Donald Trump had directed the strikes “to hold Iranian forces accountable”.

Iran reports explosions in southern province, condemns US strikes

Following the US announcement, Iranian state media reported a series of explosions late Sunday across Hormozgan province in southern Iran.Explosions were reported in Jask, Qeshm, Bandar Abbas and Sirik, though local authorities said there were no civilian casualties or damage to residential or commercial infrastructure.

“Following the latest US attacks on several locations in the province, no civilian casualties or damage to residential or commercial infrastructure has been reported so far,” the Hormozgan Governorate Public Relations Office said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.IRIB separately reported that the attack targeted a telecommunications tower in Sirik county, adding that the location had been hit in previous strikes as well.Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the latest US action, saying the attacks had “rendered futile” diplomatic efforts made over the past few months to reduce tensions in West Asia.“These barbaric attacks are not only a gross violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter...but also a serious threat to international peace and security,” the ministry said, according to AFP.Tehran accused Washington of worsening instability in the region and disrupting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.“The US regime has also caused the return of insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz and disruption of international commercial shipping by openly interfering in the process of Iran implementing the necessary arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement said.

Strait of Hormuz remains at centre of conflict

The latest strikes followed renewed confrontation between US forces and Iranian units in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies normally pass.CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said the IRGC had once again fired at commercial shipping in the waterway before the latest US strikes.US aircraft had intercepted and destroyed an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone, Hawkins said.The US military has repeatedly said its operations are aimed at protecting commercial vessels and ensuring freedom of navigation through the strategic maritime corridor.Earlier, CENTCOM said it had carried out another round of strikes against Iran, targeting around 140 military sites with precision weapons launched from aircraft, drones and naval platforms.The targets included Iranian missile and drone facilities, naval capabilities, ammunition storage sites, communication networks and coastal surveillance locations, according to ANI.

Trump says diplomatic efforts have collapsed

The escalation comes after US President Donald Trump said recent diplomatic efforts with Iran had broken down following alleged Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz remained open for commercial traffic despite the fighting.“It’s open,” Trump said, adding, “We bombed the hell out of them last night.”Trump has maintained that US military action is intended to prevent Iran from threatening maritime security and commercial movement through the waterway.The latest strikes mark another escalation in the confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with both sides trading accusations while fears remain over the wider impact on regional stability, energy markets and global shipping.