Amidst the Hormuz crisis, Iran’s Bandar Abbas is under fresh US attacks.
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN — Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated as Washington launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian targets, with Bandar Abbas and the region around the Strait of Hormuz emerging as key sites in the latest military operation.
U.S. forces launched strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran on Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command said, an operation Washington said was a response to recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. troops stationed in the region.
U.S. forces reportedly launched “severe defensive strikes” against positions in Iran’s major southern port city of Bandar Abbas. US military forces were also attacking targets around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported several explosions east of Bandar Abbas, while explosions were also heard on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. More than five explosions were reportedly heard around Masan village on Qeshm Island, and four explosions were reported in the Qeshm area facing the strategic waterway.
The reports came as the US military stepped up operations around the strait, raising fresh concerns that the latest conflict could further affect one of the world’s most important sea lanes.
A senior official in Hormozgan Governorate, where Bandar Abbas is located, said that according to the information available at this time, no casualties or incidents have been reported yet.
As of Sept. 1, U.S. forces have redirected 84 merchant ships, disabled three and boarded two as part of Washington’s enforcement of its blockade against Iran, CENTCOM said.
This reflects increasing military pressure around the Strait of Hormuz, where commercial shipping is already severely affected. Reuters reported that only five ships crossed the strait on Monday, well below the recent average, and there were no liquid tankers.
Dozens of US fighter jets were operating over Iran after the latest attacks, although the details of the aircraft involved and the full scope of the operation remain unclear.
The latest strikes follow a US attack on rocket launchers on Lark Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then fired missiles at US bases in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted an Iranian drone in its waters. This increase has raised new security concerns for Americans across the region.
US diplomatic missions in the Middle East have issued fresh security warnings, with alerts posted on embassy websites amid reports of Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Qatar and Israel.
The latest developments mark another dangerous turn in the conflict between Washington and Tehran, with Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and the Strait of Hormuz once again at the center of a rapidly escalating military crisis.
The post Iran’s Bandar Abbas in the midst of the Hormuz crisis is under fresh American attacks appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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