US Launches More Airstrikes on Iran After Attacks on Shipping in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces launched additional airstrikes on Iran in response to a string of attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, opening a second straight day of military action after hitting targets inside Iran a day earlier.

U.S. Central Command said in a post on X on July 8 that, at the direction of Commander in Chief President Donald Trump, it had begun additional strikes on Iran.

The command said the operation was aimed at further degrading Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. is holding Iran responsible for what it called unjustified attacks on commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting a vital international waterway.

It did not disclose the specific targets or the extent of the damage.

Iranian media later reported a series of explosions in key areas of southern Iran. Semi-official Fars News Agency said several powerful blasts were heard in and around Bandar Abbas and Sirik. Some of the explosions were also heard offshore near Sirik's western coast, the report said.

Separate reports said successive blasts were heard in Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman and in nearby Konarak. Chabahar is a strategic port and a key economic and military hub for Iran. Local media said it remained unclear whether the explosions were caused by the latest U.S. strikes or occurred during the activation of Iranian air defenses or clashes involving Iranian forces.

The strikes came hours after Trump raised the prospect of another attack. Trump, who was in Turkey for a NATO summit, said earlier that the U.S. might strike Iran hard again later that night.

He also cast doubt on the future of a memorandum of understanding tied to a ceasefire with Iran, saying the MOU appeared to be over.

The latest strikes followed U.S. attacks a day earlier on positions in southern Iran in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched missiles and drones at U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, extending the military confrontation between the two sides.

Even so, Trump said he did not believe the war would start again and that the U.S. was not seeking a prolonged conflict.

Kim Yeon-ji, Hankyung.com reporter, kongzi@hankyung.com