News and politics live updates: United States targets Iran with fresh strikes over Strait of Hormuz tensions
LIVE UPDATES: Fresh US military strikes have targeted Iran after Washington accused Tehran of endangering freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Scroll down for the latest news and updates.
Madeline Cove is reporting live.
Trump issues chilling threat as strikes escalate
President Donald Trump has warned Iran it will face an even bigger military response if attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continue, escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump vowed the US would intensify its military campaign following the latest strikes on Iran.
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” he wrote alongside an image appearing to show a bombing strike inside Iran.
Multiple blasts heard along Iranian coast
Iranian state media is reporting explosions in the country’s south after the US said it launched further airstrikes.
About 10 explosions have been heard in Chabahar and another coastal city, Konarak, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reports.
There were also blasts reported in Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz, and in Sirik, another southern coastal city.
‘Bully of the Middle East’: Trump warns more strikes are coming for Iran
US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Iran’s leadership, describing them as “cuckoo” and warning fresh military strikes could follow as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate.
Speaking at the NATO summit, Mr Trump said, “We hit them very hard last night, very probably hit them hard again tonight.”
He added, “They’ve been the bully of the Middle East and they’re not the bully anymore.”
The comments came hours after he declared the US ceasefire with Iran was “over” following attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, while signalling negotiations could still continue.
US unleashes fresh strikes on Iran
The United States has launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East as Washington moves to counter what it says are threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Confirming the operation, US Central Command said the strikes were ordered “to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
It added, “The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
