International

IIE DIGITAL: The United States has intensified its military campaign against Iran with another round of strikes, extending the offensive into a 10th consecutive night as Washington seeks to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

The latest attacks follow President Donald Trump’s pledge to retaliate for the deaths of three American service members in recent Iranian strikes. Trump said Iran had been hit “very hard” in response to the loss of the soldiers.

Iran, meanwhile, has claimed retaliatory strikes on two oil tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, as well as US military positions in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the escalating confrontation as a “full-scale war” with the United States.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed responsibility for an attack on infrastructure associated with Amazon in Bahrain, alleging that several cruise missiles struck the company’s central data facilities.

Despite the sharp escalation and the breakdown of a ceasefire, Tehran said diplomatic communication between the two sides was continuing through intermediaries.

US Central Command said its latest strikes targeted Iranian military command centres, maritime assets, missile and drone launch facilities, and air defence systems. Commercial shipping, however, has continued through the Strait of Hormuz despite the growing security risks.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency separately reported that a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the waterway, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. It remains unclear whether the tanker was among those cited by Iranian authorities.

Tensions have also spread across the wider region. Jordan said it intercepted Iranian missiles, while Kuwait reported bringing down Iranian drones and Bahrain said Iranian drones had targeted its air navigation systems without disrupting air traffic.

The escalation comes as the US confirms the identities of two soldiers killed in an Iranian attack on the Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan, adding another layer of urgency to Washington’s response as the confrontation between the two countries deepens.