The United States has launched a 10th consecutive night of bombardment against Iranian targets, with blasts hitting Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Shiraz, Isfahan, Chabahar, and Konarak as Middle Eastern tensions intensify.
This latest series of strikes comes alongside Iranian counterattacks, fresh warnings from US President Donald Trump, and a naval blockade declared by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia, fueling concerns over a wider conflict and disruption to global energy supplies.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Monday evening that the latest operation targeted Iranian military capabilities that were reportedly being utilized to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM noted that the air operations wrapped up around 9 p.m. Eastern Time (0100 GMT). American forces struck command centers, naval assets, missile and drone launch sites, alongside air defense networks.
Iranian media confirmed multiple explosions across several strategic locations, including Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Shiraz, and Isfahan, marking ten straight nights of US air operations against Tehran.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took credit for strikes targeting US military infrastructure in Kuwait.
The IRGC claimed it hit American HIMARS missile batteries, radar systems, satellite dishes, a communications hub, and drone hangars housing MQ-9 aircraft across different locations.
Furthermore, the IRGC reported destroying radar hardware and US air defense installations in Bahrain as part of its ongoing retaliatory actions against Washington and its allies across the Gulf.
The fighting has severely threatened maritime traffic through critical global oil transit points. Earlier on Monday, two Greek-flagged tankers were reportedly targeted in the Strait of Hormuz.
Additionally, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations stated that another tanker was hit off the coast of Limah, Oman, forcing its crew to abandon ship.
By early Tuesday, the IRGC claimed that two more oil tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz via what it described as an unsafe southern route suffered explosions and heavy fires.
Prior to the start of the latest bombing run, President Donald Trump issued a warning to Tehran via social media, stating that Iran would pay “many times over” for operations leading to American casualties.
Trump’s statements followed a week in which three US service members were killed.
Two troops were killed and another was reported missing when an Iranian missile struck a base in Jordan on Friday, while a third service member was killed in northern Iraq.
The US President reiterated that any further Iranian strikes against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz would bring an even harsher response from Washington.
Meanwhile, political opposition to the military campaign is surfacing inside the United States. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an immediate end to the offensive, promising that Senate Democrats would force Republicans to vote on halting military actions.
In a post on X, Schumer wrote, “Every second Trump prolongs his war in Iran is another second our service members remain in danger.”
He added that Senate Democrats would “force Senate Republicans to take another vote to end this war and bring our troops home.”
Despite the ongoing fighting, the White House confirmed in an official statement that diplomatic lines of communication between Washington and Tehran remain open, though it underscored that military strikes against Iran would continue until President Trump directs otherwise.
The situation broadened further after Yemen’s pro-Iranian Houthi movement declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The group threatened to disrupt shipping lanes across the Red Sea, which could restart the Yemeni civil war that had remained largely calm for the past four years.
The Houthi declaration has intensified anxiety throughout global energy markets.
Economic analysts warn that sustained instability across the Gulf and Red Sea corridors could significantly impact global oil distribution and international shipping trade.
