The United States military said late Monday it was carrying out its 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran, intensifying operations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz after another American service member was killed and Tehran launched attacks on US allies Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on social media that the latest strikes “are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the strategic waterway.The latest escalation came as President Donald Trump warned of a stronger response to attacks on American troops. In a social media post, Trump said: “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump is expected to attend a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday evening, where the remains of at least one US service member are due to arrive.Despite the continued fighting, there were signs of diplomatic engagement as Iran’s interior minister travelled to Pakistan, which has been mediating between Washington and Tehran. However, the interim ceasefire agreement signed last month has effectively collapsed, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely stalled.The US military said its previous night’s strikes targeted “Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks.” Last week, US forces also struck bridges and a surveillance tower at an Iranian port.Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that American strikes killed at least one person near the northwestern city of Tabriz, which is believed to host underground missile facilities operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. IRNA also reported strikes in Bandar Imam Khomeini in Khuzestan province, Sirik and Jask in Hormozgan province, and Konarak and Chahbahar in Sistan and Baluchistan province.The conflict has also spread across the Gulf. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a second commercial vessel was attacked on Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz near the United Arab Emirates. Another ship caught fire after being struck by a projectile off the coast of Oman. Its crew abandoned the vessel, which remained adrift and ablaze hours later.Iran has also targeted US partner nations in the region. Kuwait said its air defences intercepted an incoming barrage, while Jordan’s armed forces said they shot down three Iranian missiles without casualties or damage. Bahrain condemned Iranian drone strikes targeting its air traffic systems, saying they endangered civilian aviation.The conflict is also raising fresh concerns over global energy supplies. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday, saying they would block shipping between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in response to what they described as a Saudi attack on Sanaa International Airport last week.With the Strait of Hormuz largely blocked, Saudi Arabia has relied on pipelines to the Red Sea to maintain oil exports. There was no immediate response from Riyadh.The escalation has driven oil prices higher in recent weeks, with Brent crude trading above $88 a barrel on Monday. The US military also said it has redirected seven ships and disabled one vessel since reimposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports to restrict the country’s crude oil exports.
