The United States and Iran traded fresh military strikes overnight on Wednesday, further escalating tensions in the Gulf region, with US President Donald Trump warning of additional attacks unless Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out additional "self-defence" strikes against multiple targets in Iran.
"The strikes are in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on social media.
In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced early Thursday that it had launched retaliatory attacks against 18 US military targets, including airbases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
IRGC declares Strait of Hormuz closed
The IRGC further claimed that the Strait of Hormuz had been "closed to all vessels," warning that any ship attempting to transit the waterway could be targeted.
"Effective immediately, due to insecurity in the region, the Strait of Hormuz is declared closed to all vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships," the IRGC said in a statement posted on its official Telegram channel, according to CNN.
Iranian media also reported heavy clashes and exchanges of fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz between US forces and IRGC naval units.
According to those reports, US strikes targeted coastal areas near Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm Island, and Hengam Island.
US denies Iran's claim
CENTCOM disputed Iran's assertion that the strait had been closed, stating that commercial vessels continued to transit the waterway despite Iranian threats.
President Trump also claimed that ships were crossing the strait without Iranian authorisation as part of what he described as a clandestine military operation.
Later, talking to Fox News, Trump said the strikes would stop shortly but that he would "bomb the shit out of them" if Iran's leaders did not sign an agreement with the US immediately.
The latest escalation threatens to derail efforts to secure a broader Middle East peace agreement and raises concerns about the security of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints for oil and commodity shipments.
Although Trump has repeatedly said Washington and Tehran are close to reaching an agreement, little tangible progress has emerged since a fragile ceasefire reportedly took effect in early April.
