US carries out fresh strikes on Iran

The United States military has carried out fresh strikes on Iran, targeting a military site in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city along the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, US Central Command said its forces also shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones “that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz”.

According to Centcom, the site in Bandar Abbas was struck while preparing to launch a fifth drone. Iranian state media reported explosions east of the city.

The strikes come amid a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran and ongoing negotiations aimed at ending a three-month conflict that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed up global energy prices.

The latest operation marks the second time in three days that the US has struck targets in Iran, with Washington insisting the attacks were carried out in self-defence. The renewed hostilities have fuelled concerns over the stability of the ceasefire.

Centcom described the operation as “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire”.

Earlier this week, the US military confirmed another round of what it described as “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran. Those attacks targeted Iranian missile sites and vessels allegedly attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, where thousands of commercial tanker ships remain stranded because of the conflict.

Centcom said the earlier strikes were intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”.

Iran condemned the attacks as “a grave violation of the ceasefire” and warned that it “will not leave any act of hostility unanswered”.

On Thursday, Kuwait’s army said its air defences intercepted “hostile missile and drone threats”, although no further details were provided.

Meanwhile, the US imposed sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the Iranian body responsible for collecting payments from ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, the US Treasury Department warned that vessels making payments to the authority could also face “the risk of sanctions”.

Around one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas and oil supplies normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making it one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes. Disruptions to traffic in the waterway have had a significant impact on global fuel trade.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on Monday that Tehran was collecting fees for “navigational services” and would continue overseeing traffic through the strait.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the move as “the Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade” and said it was “proof” that Iran was “desperate for cash”.