President Donald Trump announced that the latest U.S. air strikes on Iran were a tribute to three American soldiers killed in recent attacks. He said the strikes hit Iranian targets "very hard," and were launched in honour of the fallen troops, one killed in Iraq and two in Jordan, adding a personal note to what is otherwise a purely geopolitical response.
In the first hours of Monday local time, the U.S. Central Command (CentCom) confirmed a "new wave" of strikes for a ninth consecutive night. The attacks focused on military sites and communications networks, aimed at curbing Tehran’s threats to vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran countered with a "surprise" assault in Syria and a targeted attack on U.S. aircraft at Jordan’s Aqaba airport, while Kuwait’s armed forces reported intercepting Iranian drones amid rising hostilities.
Iran’s semi‑official Tasnim news agency listed several cities affected by the strikes, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini. Iranian state media reported that two oil tankers detonated while attempting to traverse the strait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the route as "unsafe and hazardous," claiming the vessels exploded and were brought to a halt. CentCom disputed these claims, but the IRGC declared that the strait would not safely allow petrochemical transit until U.S. strikes cease, threatening a punitive operation.
Earlier this weekend, the U.S. confirmed that a service member had been killed after an Iranian attack in northern Iraq on Saturday. This followed the July 6 attack on a Jordan base that killed two U.S. soldiers and left a third missing. The U.S. said the remains of the fallen service member were found, pending verification.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed dialogue, noting the U.S. "remains open to a diplomatic solution" but warned that the world must decide whether to allow Iranian control over the vital maritime corridor. He criticized Tehran’s use of the strait as a leverage tool, a strategy that undermines global trade and security.
The comments come amid a stalled preliminary peace deal, announced in mid‑June to cease hostilities, with no concrete progress on a permanent agreement after Trump declared the accord "over" on July 8.
For further details, read about the service member’s death here and the earlier Jordan base attack here.
