The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Monday that it had begun a new round of strikes against Iran, describing the operations as the third consecutive night of military actions ordered by President Donald Trump.
“Today at 4:45 p.m. (Eastern Time), United States 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 on its social media channels.
According to CENTCOM, the military actions will continue with the stated aim of degrading Iran’s offensive capabilities and limiting its ability to carry out attacks against 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 President Trump said the United States would maintain military pressure on Iran in the coming hours. In an interview with the conservative Salem News Channel, he said the U.S. would conduct 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 not have the capacity to respond to U.S. actions.
“There is nothing they can do about it. They have nothing,” he added, also criticizing Iranian leaders by saying they “have nothing but big mouths.”
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the world’s most important maritime routes for energy shipments and international trade.
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