The United States military has launched a new round of strikes against targets in Iran, marking a renewed escalation between Washington and Tehran following several days of military exchanges.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that strikes began at around 16:00 GMT on Tuesday, targeting sites in Iran amid tensions over attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official told Al Jazeera that operations against targets affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were continuing.
Iranian media reported several explosions in southern and southeastern parts of the country.
Iran’s state broadcaster reported more than five explosions around the village of Masan on Qeshm Island, east of the major port city of Bandar Abbas, while four other explosions were heard from the direction of the Strait of Hormuz.
Authorities initially reported no casualties in the Bandar Abbas area.
Explosions were also reported in Konarak and Chabahar in southeastern Iran.
General Ali Khalil Abadi, deputy governor for security and law enforcement in Sistan and Baluchestan province, confirmed that the two counties had been targeted.
He said four projectiles struck Chabahar and Konarak, adding that investigations were underway to determine the extent of any damage and casualties.
The latest US operation follows an escalation over the previous two days.
According to Al Jazeera, the US struck Iran’s Larak Island on Sunday, saying Iranian forces were preparing to lay mines in a recently cleared commercial and civilian shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian forces subsequently targeted US military positions in Jordan, prompting US President Donald Trump to promise a response.
Iran has warned that it could retaliate further.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that if Washington sought to prevent Iran from exporting oil from the Gulf, “no one will be able to export oil.”
The renewed confrontation has intensified concerns over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important oil transit routes, and the possibility of a wider regional escalation. (Newswire)