US military says it is striking targets in Iran - Reuters

The U.S. military carried out air strikes against targets in Iran on Tuesday, saying the attacks were a response to Iranian attempts to strike commercial vessels and U.S. forces operating in the Middle East. The strikes were announced by U.S. Central Command as part of a broader effort to counter what Washington described as hostile actions by Tehran.

President Donald Trump posted a warning on social media after the announcement, stating that if Iran retaliated for what he called a “justified attack,” the United States would respond with a more severe strike, though he added that an even larger operation was being prepared. The statement underscored the administration’s readiness to expand the military response if needed.

Iranian state television reported hearing explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on the same day, though it offered no further details. Iranian officials later confirmed that four projectiles had struck the coastal facilities at Chabahar and Konarak, acknowledging the impact of the U.S. attacks on those locations.

The latest exchange ends a month-long pause in direct combat that had marked the most recent phase of an intermittent conflict that has persisted for more than six months. The renewed hostilities have contributed to rising global oil prices and have become a point of political focus ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in the United States.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply normally passes, remains a central issue in the confrontation. Tehran has effectively closed the strait since the conflict began, prompting the United States to target what it described as economic and military infrastructure in an effort to pressure Iran and safeguard maritime navigation in the region.