US launches fresh air strikes on Iran and resumes sea blockade

The United States military carried out two successive waves of air strikes against Iranian targets on Wednesday, hitting command centres, air‑defence sites and a naval facility in the port city of Chabahar. The attacks were described by CENTCOM as intended to limit Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time the US resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports, diverting two merchant vessels that attempted to breach it and firing on an unmanned oil tanker heading toward an Iranian Gulf port. The blockade, which had been paused earlier in the week, is part of a broader effort to curb Iran’s maritime activity.

Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran had allowed a US citizen detained since the end of 2024 to leave the country, calling the gesture “good will,” while also warning that further strikes on Iran’s infrastructure could follow. The attacks triggered sirens and air‑defence alerts in allied Gulf states Kuwait and Bahrain, where forces intercepted multiple missiles and drones.

U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres expressed “deep concern” over the escalating military actions and urged all parties to de‑escalate and ensure free navigation through the Hormuz Strait.