US military strikes Iran over 'attempted' shipping attacks as tensions flare

US President Donald Trump announced that the United States military has launched strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for Iran's attempted shipping attacks and missile launches against American military bases in the region. Trump described the strikes as "large and powerful" in a post on Truth Social.

The United States is currently conducting the strikes, which are described as "limited, precise", according to CENTCOM. Iran's IRGC claimed the attack killed two people and injured two others, but this was denied by Jordan's military, which said they had intercepted eight missiles. Iran also reportedly targeted an air base in the UAE with drones, which the UAE rejected as unfounded while confirming they had shot down a drone.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed a "decisive response to the aggressors," while Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister dismissed US claims that mines placed by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz had been removed or detonated as a "propaganda deception." The escalation has centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route between Iran and Gulf countries.