In a seven-hour operation, the U.S. military carried out a fourth consecutive attack on Iran overnight Tuesday, targeting dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran’s coastline, including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defense systems.
CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said on Tuesday night that Iran attacked seven commercial ships over the past week. “Over the past seven days, Iran has intentionally targeted civilians across the region by attacking seven commercial ships, resulting in nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured,” he stated. “Iranian forces have also launched dozens of missiles and drones toward neighboring Gulf countries. US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives.”
CENTCOM published a video of the strikes on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy vital Iranian infrastructure next week if Tehran continues to refuse to engage in negotiations for a deal.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said: “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, we’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night, we’re going to hit them very hard the night after. And then next week it gets really bad for them…we’re going to knock out all their power plants, we’re going to knock out all their bridges, unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
He also hinted at the possibility of a ground operation, adding, “Sometimes you need a ground operation, but we have others who will do it for us.”
Axios reported that Trump held a meeting on Tuesday with his top national security advisers to discuss plans for a significantly expanded U.S. military offensive against Iran beyond the ongoing operations around the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Tuesday, CENTCOM announced that it had renewed the naval blockade of vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports.
“U.S. forces resumed the naval blockade against vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas today at 4 p.m. ET,” the statement said.
“There are currently more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft operating across the Middle East. American forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready.”
Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed “until the end of American evil,” adding that maritime transit through the strategic waterway is currently impossible because of ongoing U.S. military activity in the area. According to the official statement, passage through the strait will resume only after “stability and calm return” to the region.
Iranian media also reported that the military had once again attacked U.S. military facilities at Azraq Air Base in Jordan. At the same time, air raid sirens sounded before dawn in Bahrain, while Kuwait’s military said its air defense systems intercepted an Iranian drone attack. A fire broke out at one of the targeted sites in Kuwait but was extinguished without casualties.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
