The United States military has carried out strikes against Iran for a third consecutive night, escalating hostilities in the Middle East as two oil tankers came under attack in the strategic Strait of Hormuz . The latest round of strikes, which U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) described as a five-hour operation, targeted multiple Iranian military installations across the country, including facilities in Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Jask, and Bushehr . CENTCOM confirmed that over 50,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed in the region, vowing to continue “imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces”.
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The military action follows President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States is reinstating a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf, with the President also floating a 20% toll charge for vessels transiting the critical waterway . In a formal letter to Congress, President Trump stated that hostilities against Iran resumed on July 7, a move his administration views as opening a new 60-day window for military action without further congressional approval . The escalation comes despite a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18 that was intended to lift the maritime blockade and normalize commercial navigation through the Strait .
