US Hits Iranian Military Site Near Strait Of Hormuz In Second Strike In 48 Hours

The United States carried out fresh strikes in Iran, targeting a military site that allegedly posed a threat to American forces and commercial shipping traffic near the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters.

Iran launched four one-way attack drones targeting a US commercial vessel in the region, according to the US official. American forces intercepted and shot down all four drones before they could reach the ship.

The official added that the US military also carried out a strike on another Iranian drone-launching unit on the ground before it could launch additional attacks.

Following the strikes, three explosions were reported east of Bandar Abbas, a strategically important Iranian port city and naval hub located near the Strait of Hormuz.

The blasts occurred at around 1:30 a.m. local time and briefly triggered the activation of air defence systems in the area, according to Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The latest strikes come just two days after US forces launched what Washington described as “self-defence strikes” against military targets in southern Iran.

“The precision strikes directly targeted missile launch sites and Iranian vessels that were actively attempting to emplace naval mines,” CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins told Fox News. “The operation was executed to protect American troops from imminent threats posed by Iranian forces,” he added.

Iran Warns Of Retaliatory Action

After Tuesday’s strike, Iran’s foreign ministry had accused the US of breaking the ceasefire and said that Tehran will respond and not hesitate in defending itself.

In a statement, Iran’s foreign ministry said, “The United States committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region in the past 48 hours…Iran holds the US regime responsible for all the consequences resulting from these aggressive and unjustified actions.”

Fight Over Strait Of Hormuz

The control over the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major deadlock in US-Iran deal. Iran has indicated that it seeks to impose a new reality in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil normally passes, exacting tolls on transiting ships and sharing the revenues with Oman. Iran said it is part of the deal to end the war.

However, White House has dismissed these reports. US President Donald Trump said no one will control the Strait of Hormuz.  “Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it,” Trump said.