President Trump ordered American forces to pummel Iranian military targets for a tenth consecutive night Monday, after vowing to avenge the deaths of US service members “many times over.”
“Today at 4 pm ET, US forces began a new round of strikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” CENTCOM announced on X.
“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the combatant command added.
The assault wrapped up at around 9 p.m. ET.
“US forces struck Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems,” according to CENTCOM, which released footage of several structures being hit in the precision strikes.
Graeme Sloan / Pool via CNP / SplashNews.com
“Commercial vessel transits through the vital international maritime corridor continue,” the combatant command noted. “Since early May, CENTCOM forces have helped facilitate the transit of approximately 900 commercial vessels and 450 million barrels of crude oil.”
The latest round of airstrikes were announced just hours after Trump fumed over the deaths of three US service members, who were killed during Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
“Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This directive has been passed on to Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Daniel Caine, and every Leader in the Military,” the president added.
Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, was killed in action on Friday at the US military outpost in Jordan and 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, 25, was killed the next day. A third US service member was killed during a “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone but has not been identified.
A total of 17 American service members have been killed since the launch of Operation Epic Fury by the US and Israel Feb. 28.
The US has repeatedly bombed Iran following the collapse of last month’s memorandum of understanding that called for a 60-day reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and continued nuclear talks.