New US Air Campaign Targets Iran Amid Escalating Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz
A fresh wave of US military strikes against Iran coincides with mounting concerns over the 6,000 seafarers trapped in the Strait of Hormuz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday that American forces have launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran, saying the operation is intended to further degrade Iranian military capabilities that have been used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement posted by CENTCOM on X, the strikes began at 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
"At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran," CENTCOM said.
The command added that the operation is designed to further reduce military capabilities that Iranian forces have used against commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest military developments come as concerns continue to grow over maritime security in one of the world's most strategically important waterways.
According to Bloomberg, International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said approximately 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the waterway continues to pose an extremely high risk for commercial vessels.
Dominguez said the organization supports measures aimed at ensuring the safety of seafarers operating in the strait.
The warning follows recent threats by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to close routes used by the United States and its allies.
After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Earlier on Wednesday, US forces carried out a large-scale air and naval operation against Iran that lasted seven hours and targeted dozens of military sites.
The renewed escalation follows the collapse of the memorandum of understanding previously signed between the United States and Iran. After that agreement had reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, President Donald Trump declared that the agreement had ended, triggering renewed tensions that ultimately led Iran to close the strategic waterway once again.