US launches fresh Iran strikes, reimposes naval blockade

The United States has escalated its military actions against Iran, carrying out strikes for a fourth day and reimposing a naval blockade on the country's ports. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning, threatening to expand the strikes next week to include power plants and bridges if Iran does not agree to negotiations.

"Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges," Trump stated in an interview with Fox News. "We're going to knock out all their power plants. We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate."

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Next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We're going to knock out all their power plants. We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.

The renewed naval blockade, which took effect shortly after the latest strikes, was described by a senior Iranian official as effectively dismantling a previously agreed-upon memorandum to pause the conflict for peace talks. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi indicated that the US decision "has, in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum."

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has, in a way, dismantled the Islamabad memorandum.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) asserted that the recent strikes were intended to "degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping" in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for Gulf oil and gas. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, stated that Iran's "unwarranted aggression" has endangered innocent lives, citing seven commercial ships attacked in the past week, resulting in civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported explosions near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. The state news agency IRNA also reported that Iranian forces launched a drone attack on a military base in Jordan hosting US warplanes. The article also notes that Iran had previously struck two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two crew members, and that a Norwegian tanker was hit by an explosion off the Omani coast.

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US forces are holding Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression that continues to endanger innocent lives.