US Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran as Trump Warns of Escalation Over Hormuz Attacks

Washington, July 2026 : The United States has launched another round of airstrikes targeting Iranian military assets, intensifying tensions in the Middle East amid escalating threats between Washington and Tehran over security in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the latest strikes began at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, stating that the military operation is aimed at weakening Iran’s capability to threaten civilian shipping and commercial vessels operating in regional waters.

Announcing the operation on X, CENTCOM said, “The mission will continue to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters.”

The fresh strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, declaring that any attack on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would trigger direct US retaliation against critical Iranian infrastructure.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that if Iran targeted any vessel using missiles, rockets, drones or other weapons, the United States would respond by bombing a bridge or power plant inside Iran, including facilities located near the capital, Tehran.

The warning marked one of the strongest public threats made by the US administration since tensions with Iran escalated in recent weeks.

Iran responded sharply through its principal military command, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warning that any US attack on Iranian infrastructure would provoke severe retaliation. According to media reports, the command stated that Iran would block oil exports from West Asia and launch attacks on oil, gas, electricity and other economic infrastructure across the region.

Iranian military officials also cautioned that continued US threats would only widen the conflict, increasing the risk of a broader regional war.

The latest escalation follows another series of US strikes conducted late Tuesday night, which reportedly activated Iranian air defence systems over Tehran. Around the same time, Iran launched a missile strike targeting a Jordanian city near Israel’s border, prompting security alerts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, public opinion in the United States appears divided over the conflict. A Washington Post-Ipsos poll released last week found that 68 per cent of American adults believe the war with Iran is “not worth fighting,” while 28 per cent support military action.

The continuing exchange of military strikes and increasingly aggressive rhetoric has heightened concerns about regional stability, with fears growing that the confrontation could disrupt global energy supplies and further destabilise the Middle East.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)