The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday that it began a new round of strikes against Iran, describing the operations as the third consecutive night of military actions ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Today at 4:45 p.m. (Eastern), U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, under the direction of the commander in chief,” the command said in a statement posted to its social media channels.
According to CENTCOM, the military actions will continue with the goal of degrading Iran’s offensive capabilities and limiting its ability to carry out attacks on civilian targets and international maritime traffic.
“These strikes will continue to impose a high cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. command said.
The CENTCOM announcement came shortly after Donald Trump warned that the U.S. would maintain military pressure on Iran in the coming hours. In an interview with the conservative Salem News Channel, the president said the United States would carry out high-intensity strikes on Iranian territory during Monday night and into Tuesday.
“We will hit Iran very hard,” the president said, asserting that Tehran would have no ability to respond to U.S. actions.
“There’s nothing they can do about it. They have nothing,” he added, also criticizing Iranian leaders by saying they have “nothing but big mouths.”
Meanwhile, the semi-official Iranian news agency YJC reported that two explosions were heard on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. The outlet did not attribute the blasts to a specific cause nor immediately report any damage or casualties.
Kish is a strategically located island near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the principal sea routes for global oil and gas shipments.
Shortly after, the semi-official agency Mehr reported that explosions were also heard on Qeshm Island in southern Iran, in the waters of the Persian Gulf.
Qeshm and Kish are located in a strategically important area because of their proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime corridor for global energy trade.
Blockade in the Strait of Hormuz
In addition to the air strikes, the United States announced it will resume naval blockade measures on maritime traffic linked to Iran on Tuesday. CENTCOM said the operation would be reactivated at 4:00 p.m. Eastern (20:00 GMT) by order of President Donald Trump.
The military command said its forces will take action against vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports and coastal areas in violation of restrictions set by Washington, while allowing passage for ships that comply with the blockade rules.
“By order of the commander in chief, U.S. Central Command forces will resume the blockade of maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports,” CENTCOM said in its statement.
The U.S. command urged maritime operators to follow official navigational alerts and to communicate with U.S. naval forces when transiting the Gulf of Oman and areas near the Strait of Hormuz.
The move increases pressure on a region considered crucial for global energy trade. Before the conflict began, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments passed through the Strait of Hormuz, given its connection between the Persian Gulf and international markets.
CENTCOM recalled that during an initial phase of the blockade, carried out between April and June, its forces diverted more than 140 vessels, neutralized nine ships that, according to Washington, violated orders, and authorized the transit of over 50 commercial ships carrying humanitarian aid.
The announcement of the blockade’s restart comes amid a renewed military escalation between the United States and Iran. Hours earlier, Trump had said Washington would reimpose the measure and suggested that ships protected by U.S. forces in the area should pay a 20% compensation fee.
At the same time, CENTCOM reported that U.S. forces used maritime drones in combat for the first time during operations against an Iranian facility. According to the command, the drones were used against a maintenance center for submarines and vessels at the Bandar Abbas naval base.
U.S. military officials also said that around 140 targets linked to Iranian forces were struck over the weekend using a combination of combat aircraft, drones, and naval vessels.
The escalation follows President Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire framework signed on June 17 had ended, citing continued Iranian attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, in turn, responded with attacks on several U.S. allied countries in the region, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, which host U.S. military forces.