The United States has launched major strikes against Iranian targets for the first time since late July, with Washington saying the operation was directed at Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) positions after attempted attacks on commercial shipping and American personnel.
US Central Command said the strikes began on Tuesday night, September 1, at about 8pm Tehran time. Explosions were reported by Iranian state media near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and in other locations.
“The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region,” Central Command said.
The action marked a significant escalation after weeks of relative calm. The last major US strikes confirmed by the military were on July 29, although American forces carried out a limited operation against Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
That earlier attack targeted two launchers on Larak Island, near Bandar Abbas, which US officials said Iranian forces were preparing to use to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strategic waterway.
Iran responded by saying it had launched missiles at US military sites in Jordan. Jordan’s armed forces said eight missiles that entered its airspace had been intercepted, while the United Arab Emirates said it had stopped an Iranian drone over its waters.
The renewed strikes come as the US and Iran remain locked in a conflict that began six months ago. Despite a memorandum of understanding signed in June, the two sides have not reached a permanent agreement to end the fighting or restore safe and regular passage for global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway, which links the Gulf with the Arabian Sea, has become the main flashpoint in the confrontation. Iran has used threats to shipping as leverage, while Washington has said its military action is intended to protect commercial vessels and American forces operating in the region.
