The United States military conducted strikes against Iran for the 11th consecutive night on Tuesday, as Tehran issued warnings against any US targeting of its nuclear facilities. US Central Command (Centcom) stated that the latest wave of strikes was specifically designed to continue degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping within the vital Strait of Hormuz. According to Centcom, US forces targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure.
Iranian state media reported that air defense systems were activated in the capital, Tehran. Explosions were also documented in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, and in Bushehr, which is the site of Iran's only nuclear power plant. Centcom accused Iran of attacking more than 30 commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months. The command stated that these unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined the freedom of navigation, though it maintained that the waterway remains open for commercial vessel transit.
Tensions escalated further after President Donald Trump announced that the next military target could be a complex known as Pickaxe Mountain. During a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Trump told reporters that the US would be hitting the area, an underground site where Iran is suspected of building an undeclared enrichment facility, very heavily. Trump added that while he would not normally announce targets, there is nothing Iran can do to stop it. In response, Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military command stated that such an attack would be considered an expansion of the war, threatening strikes on all interests of America, its allies, and its supporters.
The regional conflict is also impacting neighboring nations. Kuwait’s army reported early Wednesday morning that its air defenses were engaging with drone attacks originating from Iran, while Bahrain and Jordan confirmed they had also intercepted drone and missile strikes. Meanwhile, Houthi rebels in Yemen have threatened a blockade of Saudi ports. A Houthi media official announced they were closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait—the southern gateway to the Red Sea—to Saudi vessels. This has caused significant disruption, as the Red Sea has become a crucial route for Saudi oil shipments during the ongoing US-Iranian conflict, which has already effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.
British maritime risk management group Vanguard reported that two tankers, which had just loaded Saudi crude bound for China and India at the port of Yanbu, made U-turns on Tuesday and headed toward the Suez Canal following the Houthi announcement. These hostilities have caused global fuel prices to fluctuate significantly. Although Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump declared the ceasefire over just three weeks later following renewed Iranian attacks on ships.
The financial burden of the conflict continues to mount. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, stating that the war has cost the US approximately $37.5 billion, marking an increase of nearly $8 billion since the last estimate in May. Hegseth warned lawmakers that military training would have to be curtailed unless they approve an urgent funding boost.
Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days.
The war with Iran has cost the US some $37.5bn (£28bn) so far – a rise of nearly $8bn since the last estimate in May, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday.
