US and Iran exchange strikes over Strait of Hormuz shipping attacks
Article excerpt
The U.S. Military launched a second wave of strikes against Iranian targets Saturday, escalating a cycle of retaliation that has strained a fragile ceasefire deal between the two countries. The new round came after Iran struck a commercial tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday morning, prompting U.S. Central Command to target Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, and drone storage facilities. President Trump warned on Truth Social that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist" if the U.S. Is "forced to militarily complete the job," while Iran's foreign minister accused Washington of "treaty breaking" in response to the strikes. The escalation has left roughly 11,000 crew members aboard merchant ships stranded in the middle of the contested waterway, with Iran advising evacuation via one route and the U.S. Military suggesting another. U.S. Officials framed the strikes as a direct response to "continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping," while Iran cast its attacks as retaliation for earlier American strikes. The exchange marks the second consecutive day of tit-for-tat military action since the two sides reached an interim agreement aimed at preventing a broader conflict.
President Donald Trump said the United States carried out a counter-attack against Iran on Saturday for violating the ceasefire deal yet “AGAIN!”, which the president said threatened to wreck the ongoing negotiations to end the war.
Trump said the U.S. could soon be “forced” to finish off Iran, if more violations occur. The president said America will have no choice, because Iran is showing it cannot be “reasonable” and “will never learn.”
Trump posted on Truth Social:
United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN! It is very possible that they will never learn!
There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist! President DJT
His post came shortly after U.S. Central Command reported the U.S. military hit multiple Iranian targets “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.”
“Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to when its forces launched a one-way attack drone,” the report said.
As Mediaite’s Jennifer Bowers Bahney wrote earlier:
The drone attack appeared to target the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters and the 5th Fleet, which are based in Bahrain,
Fox News’s Jennifer Griffin reported that the strikes were in retaliation for Iran hitting a ship in the Strait of Hormuz earlier Saturday.
“It was about 4:30 a.m. when the ship was hit near Strait of Hormuz. That’s the second ship in two days,” Griffin said by phone. “This is the second night of bombing that the U.S. Military is carrying out. The targets include air defense systems, drone storage sites, cruise missiles, targeting radars, and minelaying capabilities, as well as surface-to-air missiles, that’s according to a U.S. official.”
“I am told this strike is much larger than last night, which lasted for about an hour,” Griffin continued. “Iran, I’m told, had a chance to stop shooting. This official said they didn’t take it, instead they attacked another ship in Strait of Hormuz this morning. That ship was carrying about 200,000 barrels of oil and so, it could’ve been a disaster in Strait of Hormuz, very dangerous situation. These are attack drones, one-way attack drones, that Iran and the IRGC have been sending towards the ships.”
Trump has made similar threats to annihilate Iran if it doesn’t behave at other points in the war. Trump warned “A whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz; a two-week ceasefire deal was announced a few hours later, and Trump backed off his threat.
Watch the clip above via Fox News.
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