US Launches More Airstrikes on Iran After Merchant Ship Attacks in Strait of Hormuz

The US military launched additional airstrikes on Iran in response to continued attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a second straight day of military action after strikes on targets inside Iran a day earlier.

US Central Command said on X on July 8 that, under orders from Commander in Chief President Donald Trump, it had begun additional airstrikes against Iran.

The strikes were aimed at further degrading Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the command said. The US is holding Iran accountable for what it called unjustified attacks on merchant vessels and civilian mariners transiting a vital international waterway.

The military did not disclose the specific targets or the extent of the damage.

Local media reported repeated explosions in key parts of southern Iran later that day. Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency and other outlets said multiple powerful blasts were heard in and around Bandar Abbas and Sirik, both strategic areas in the south. Some of the explosions were also reported at sea near Sirik’s western coast.

There were also reports of successive explosions in Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman and in nearby Konarak. Chabahar is one of Iran’s key strategic ports and an important economic and military hub. Local media said it was unclear whether the blasts were caused by additional US airstrikes or by the activation of Iran’s air defenses or fighting in the area.

The latest strikes came within hours of Trump publicly raising the prospect of another attack. Trump, who was visiting Turkey for a NATO summit, said earlier that the US could strike Iran hard again later that night.

He also cast doubt on the durability of a memorandum of understanding tied to a ceasefire with Iran, indicating that the MOU appeared to have effectively ended.

The US strikes on Iran have now stretched into a second day. Earlier, the US hit sites in southern Iran in response to Iranian attacks on merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched missiles and drones at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, deepening the military confrontation between the two sides.

Even so, Trump said he did not believe the war would resume and added that the US was not seeking a prolonged conflict.

Kim Yeon-ji, Hankyung.com reporter kongzi@hankyung.com