Latest US Strikes on Iran Kill One, Wound Four in Southwest

The latest American strikes on Iran have reportedly killed one person and wounded four others in the country’s southwest. “Following the enemy American attacks on Monday morning… one person was martyred and four others were injured,” reported Iran’s state news agency IRNA, citing Valiollah Hayati, the deputy governor of Khuzestan province for security and law enforcement. Earlier, the US military stated it had completed a new round of strikes in Iran aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck dozens of targets across multiple locations with precision munitions to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes. According to CENTCOM, the strikes were directly ordered by US President Donald Trump. Targets included Iranian air defence systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone equipment, and a number of small boats. CENTCOM also stated that for the first time in this operation, the US employed a combination of fighter jets, warships, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack maritime drones. The US military asserted that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz, despite the country sitting on the edge of the strategic waterway. “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it,” CENTCOM said. In its statement, CENTCOM also affirmed that US military forces are positioned and ready to ensure freedom of navigation for commercial vessels is maintained, amid what Washington describes as Tehran’s continued aggression, intimidation, threats, and baseless unilateral statements regarding shipping activity in the region.