TEHRAN: US forces carried out strikes towards Iran for a fourth day in a row on Tuesday (Jul 14) and reimposed a naval blockade to stop ships from crusing to or from the nation’s ports.
The navy motion got here after US President Donald Trump backed down on his menace to closely tax ships passing by means of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Gulf international locations had agreed to make main investments in the USA.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned the most recent strikes have been geared toward “degrading Iranian capabilities used to assault industrial delivery” within the strait, the important thing delivery channel for Gulf oil and fuel the place Tehran has repeatedly carried out assaults on civilian vessels.
Trump instructed Fox Information he would increase US strikes on Iran subsequent week to focus on energy vegetation and bridges if Tehran doesn’t make a deal, including that US representatives had held talks with Iran on Tuesday.
“Subsequent week it will get actually dangerous for them as a result of subsequent week comes the facility vegetation. Subsequent week comes the bridges,” Trump mentioned in an interview with the US broadcaster.
“We will knock out all their energy vegetation. We will knock out all their bridges except they get to the desk and negotiate.”
Requested how lengthy the US strikes would keep on, Trump replied: “They will proceed till I say it is sufficient.”
Iranian state media reported explosions close to the port metropolis of Bandar Abbas, on the Gulf island of Qeshm close to the Strait of Hormuz, and different areas.
The renewed naval blockade got here into drive at 8pm GMT (4am, Singapore time) – an hour after the US strikes started – with a senior Iranian official saying the transfer successfully wrecked a deal struck with Washington to pause the battle to permit peace talks to happen.
“There are at present greater than 20 US Navy warships and lots of of navy plane working throughout the Center East,” CENTCOM mentioned in a submit asserting the resumption of the blockade, including: “American forces stay vigilant, deadly, and prepared.”
Iran had earlier Tuesday mentioned a earlier spherical of US strikes focused Qeshm, whereas native authorities additionally mentioned US forces struck “4 factors” in Bushehr – which hosts Iran’s solely civilian nuclear energy plant – in addition to an Iranian border space close to Iraq and Kuwait.
