Washington DC: The United States launched a fresh round of military strikes against Iran on Sunday, with US Central Command stating the operation is designed to further weaken Tehran’s capacity to target civilian mariners and commercial vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement published on the social media platform X, CENTCOM confirmed the strikes were executed under the direct orders of the Commander-in-Chief to hold Iranian forces accountable.

"At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable," CENTCOM said.
 

The latest bombardment comes amid intensifying friction in the Gulf region. According to Iran's state-run Press TV, three distinct explosions were reported in the southern Iranian coastal cities of Jask, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik following the American operation.

Responding to the intensifying conflict, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed profound concern over the renewed military confrontations between the United States and Iran, warning of severe regional and international repercussions.

"I am deeply concerned by the serious escalation and renewed military confrontations in the Gulf, including the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks by the US on Iran, and the attacks by Iran on targets in the neighbouring countries. These attacks must all stop," Guterres stated in a post on X.

The UN chief cautioned that a regression into full-scale hostilities would result in "catastrophic consequences" for the populations of the region, global stability, and the international economy.

He urged both Washington and Tehran to urgently return to the negotiating table and resolve their outstanding disputes through diplomatic channels.

"I urge Iran and the US to urgently resume negotiations and to address outstanding issues through diplomacy," he added.

The developments follow a third wave of precision strikes concluded by CENTCOM on Saturday. An official military statement noted that those actions were taken to hold Tehran accountable for a prior assault on a commercial vessel in the strategic waterway.

During Saturday's operation, US forces struck approximately 140 Iranian military targets using precision-guided munitions deployed from land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, unmanned drones, and naval vessels. The targeted infrastructure included Iranian missile and drone installations, naval assets, ammunition depots, communications networks, and coastal radar systems.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to maritime commerce, dismissing claims of control made by Iran following the intense American air raids across the region.

In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, the President indicated that recent diplomatic backchannels with Iran had completely broken down, revealing that a tentative agreement with Tehran had been shattered by a subsequent Iranian attack on a merchant ship.

Addressing the current status of the critical maritime choke point, President Trump confirmed that the US had answered the renewed Iranian actions with substantial military force.

"It's open," the President remarked concerning the Strait of Hormuz. "We bombed the hell out of them last night," he added.

ANI