Arabic version: الجيش الأمريكي يستهدف موقعًا إيرانيًا في أحدث الضربات الجوية
The US military has carried out new strikes on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city. US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed its forces also shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones “that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz”. It said they targeted the Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas as it was about to launch a fifth drone. According to BBC News, explosions were reported to the east of the city following the strikes.
These military actions occurred during a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran, as well as ongoing negotiations aimed at concluding a three-month conflict that has severely disrupted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to rising global energy prices. Centcom characterized its operations as “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire.”
During a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump remarked that Iran is “negotiating on fumes” and asserted that his military strategy would remain unaffected by the upcoming midterm elections in November. He expressed uncertainty about whether military action would be escalated, stating, “Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t.”
The president also urged Gulf nations to sign on to the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, which launched the war with the US on 28 February and is also embroiled in a war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump has previously threatened to resume large-scale bombing campaigns if Iran fails to comply with US demands.
Earlier in the week, Centcom confirmed a previous round of “self-defence” strikes on southern Iran, which targeted missile sites and boats attempting to lay mines. These actions were described as necessary to protect US troops from threats posed by Iranian forces. In response, Iran condemned the strikes as “a grave violation of the ceasefire” and vowed to retaliate against any US aggression. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have downed a US drone and engaged a fighter jet and another drone that entered Iranian airspace, asserting their right to respond to US ceasefire violations.
