The US military said it has begun a new round of strikes against Iran to "further degrade" its ability to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes, the 10th consecutive night of attacks, came after US President Donald Trump vowed to punish Iran for the deaths of US soldiers, two of whom have now been identified by the Pentagon.
Trump earlier said Iran had been hit "very hard" the previous night "in honour" of three US soldiers killed recently - two in Jordan and one in Iraq. Iranian military and communications sites were struck, while Iran said it had targeted sites in Bahrain, Jordan and Syria. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran was now fighting a "full-scale war" with the US.
At the same time, Tehran said diplomatic messages were still being exchanged by both sides through intermediaries, despite a collapse of a ceasefire.
Who were the US soldiers identified by the Pentagon?
On Tuesday night, the Department of Defense confirmed the identities of two of the US soldiers - Pte Isabella Gonzales, 19, from Texas, and Lt Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Hawaii - who were killed in an Iranian strike on the Muwaffaq Salti base in Jordan over the weekend. US Central Command (Centcom) said earlier that a third service member also went missing in action after the attack, and unidentified remains were later found in the area.
How did other countries in the region respond?
Jordan's military said late on Monday it had shot down three Iranian missiles as sirens sounded across the country warning of incoming fire. Earlier in the day, Kuwait's armed forces said they had intercepted Iranian drones. Bahrain said drones launched by Iran had targeted its air navigation systems, but traffic remained unaffected.
What did Iran say about the previous night's strikes?
On the US strikes the previous night, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several cities had been hit, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini. Iranian state media also reported that two oil tankers had exploded as the vessels tried to cross the strait.
The IRGC said the tankers were moving through what it called an "unsafe and hazardous southern route" of the strait and "exploded and were brought to a halt". Centcom disputed the claims.
What remains unclear after the latest escalation?
The latest strikes and counterclaims add to the uncertainty over the conflict's next phase, with both sides continuing military operations while also keeping some diplomatic contact through intermediaries. The fighting has now continued for 10 consecutive nights, with attacks reported across Iran and several countries in the region responding to incoming drones and missiles.
Key Facts
- The US said it launched new strikes to "further degrade" Iran's ability to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The strikes were the 10th consecutive night of attacks.
- The Pentagon identified Pte Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, and Lt Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii.
- Jordan said it shot down three Iranian missiles, while Kuwait said it intercepted drones.
- Iran said two oil tankers exploded while crossing the strait, a claim Centcom disputed.
