The United States launched another wave of attacks against Iranian military targets overnight Thursday, marking the 12th consecutive night of strikes on the Islamic Republic.
US Central Command said American forces began the operation at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time under orders from President Donald Trump.
“US forces began launching additional strikes against Iranian military targets at the direction of the commander in chief,” CENTCOM said.
The operation would continue to weaken Iran’s ability to threaten civilian sailors and commercial vessels passing through regional waters, the command added.
Explosions were reported in several areas of southern and southwestern Iran, including Sirik in Hormozgan Province, Ramshir and Bandar Mahshahr in Khuzestan Province, and locations near Ahvaz.
The governor of Bushehr Province said a missile targeted a power facility near the Bushehr nuclear power plant. A nearby village reportedly suffered a two-hour power outage after an electrical station was struck.
Iran Insists Strait of Hormuz Is Closed
Iranian media quoted a military source disputing CENTCOM’s claim that the Strait of Hormuz remained open.
“The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the American Central Command’s claim is false,” the source said, according to Iran’s Fars News Agency.
The source added that Iran’s maritime blockade would continue as long as the American offensive continued.
CENTCOM presented a sharply different account, saying Iran had attacked more than 30 commercial vessels during the previous three months.
Despite those attacks, the US military said the strait remained open and claimed American forces had assisted the passage of approximately 900 commercial vessels carrying around 450 million barrels of crude oil since early May.
Houthis Claim Attack on Saudi Tankers
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a tanker near the Saudi port of Al-Shuqaiq had been struck by an unidentified missile, sparking a fire on board.
The vessel’s crew was working to contain the blaze, according to the report.
The Iran-backed Houthi movement later claimed responsibility for attacking two Saudi oil tankers with missiles and drones.
A Houthi military spokesman said the vessels were targeted because they had violated a maritime blockade declared by the group.
The claims were not immediately independently verified.
Kuwait Intercepts Iranian Drones
Kuwait’s military said its air-defense systems intercepted hostile Iranian drone attacks overnight.
Sirens were activated across the country as Tehran continued striking Gulf states that host or support US forces.
During the previous round of fighting, Iran also launched missiles toward the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, near Israel’s southern border.
Jordan said four missiles were intercepted and two others fell in remote, uninhabited areas. Smoke from the incident could reportedly be seen from Eilat.
The launches temporarily delayed the landing of an Arkia Airbus A320 at Ramon Airport while authorities inspected the runway for debris.
Saudi Arabia also activated emergency-warning systems in Dammam amid Iranian reports that a US military base in the area had been targeted.
US Targets Command Centers, Drones and Naval Forces
CENTCOM said recent strikes had targeted Iranian military command centers, naval capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone-storage facilities, missile-launching positions, air defenses and military logistics infrastructure.
Iranian state media reported attacks in the provinces of Ilam, Kurdistan, Hormozgan, Bushehr, East Azerbaijan and Hamadan.
Air-defense systems were also reportedly activated in parts of Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its military campaign against the United States would continue, but provided no additional details.
Rubio: Iran Is Not Serious About Negotiations
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained willing to negotiate, but accused Iran of failing to honor previous commitments.
“If they are serious, we are serious,” Rubio said. “If they are not, we will do what is necessary to protect not only our interests, but also the interests of our allies.”
Rubio said Iran had no legal right to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and warned that allowing it to do so would set a dangerous precedent for international trade routes elsewhere in the world.
The expanding confrontation has now drawn in Iran, the United States, Gulf states, Jordan and the Houthis, while threatening commercial shipping and energy infrastructure across the region.
