US launches fresh strikes on Iran, as Trump warns of retaliation for deaths of soldiers

US launches fresh strikes on Iran, as Trump warns of retaliation for deaths of soldiers

The United States military has conducted a 10th consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, an operation US Central Command (Centcom) stated was designed to further degrade Tehran's capacity to target commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation follows a vow by President Donald Trump to punish Iran for the deaths of American service members.

President Trump stated that Iranian targets were hit very hard during previous strikes, which he said were carried out in honour of three US soldiers killed in recent attacks. The Department of Defense identified two of those killed in a weekend strike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan as Pvt Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, and Lt Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii. A third soldier died in Iraq during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone.

Centcom specified that the latest military actions targeted Iranian air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, maritime assets, and military command centers. According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, strikes hit several cities, including Bandar Imam Khomeini, Bandar Mahshahr, Konarak, Chabahar, and Tabriz.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that his country is now engaged in a full-scale war with the United States. In response to the US campaign, Iran reported targeting sites in Syria, Jordan, and Bahrain. State news agency IRNA reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used multiple missiles to destroy the central data infrastructure of the US company Amazon in Bahrain.

The conflict has also extended to US assets in Kuwait. Iran's military claimed to have launched surface-to-surface missiles at Camp Arifjan, targeting HIMARS missile systems. Iranian officials described the HIMARS as a mobile system capable of moving quickly against ground targets, asserting that the strike reduces the enemy's missile power.

Maritime tensions remain critical in the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a tanker was hit by an unidentified projectile about 8 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman, on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported two oil tankers exploded while crossing the strait. The IRGC claimed these vessels were using an unsafe and hazardous southern route, though Centcom disputed this account.

Despite the combat, Tehran stated that diplomatic messages continue to be exchanged through intermediaries, even after a ceasefire collapsed. This ceasefire had been declared over by President Trump on July 8.

The broader regional impact has seen the Iran-backed Houthis announce a naval blockade in the southern Red Sea. Saudi Arabia strongly condemned these allegations, as the kingdom had been relying on Red Sea ports to export oil while US and Iranian forces restricted movements in the Strait of Hormuz.

The human and infrastructure toll has mounted since the war began on Feb. 28:

• US Casualties: 16 service members killed and more than 430 wounded.
• Iranian Casualties: More than 8,000 killed, including 1,738 civilians, according to Iran War Live.
• Infrastructure: US strikes have hit power and desalination plants in Hormozgan province, including the Bonji plant, which cut water to about 10,000 people. Iranian strikes in Kuwait targeted a water desalination plant and an oil facility.

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained unseen since the start of the war, warned of unforgettable lessons if US attacks continue and described President Trump's signature on any agreement as worthless and invalid. Consequently, an Iranian negotiator announced that Tehran is suspending its commitments to the interim deal signed last month.

The US has responded by reimposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports to stop crude oil shipments, with the military reporting it has disabled one ship and redirected five others since Saturday.