Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The United States launched fresh strikes on Iran on Thursday aimed at keeping the critical Strait of Hormuz open to traffic, hours after President Donald Trump declared that an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was “over.”
Confirming the operation, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X that, at the direction of the Commander in Chief, US Central Command forces had started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade its ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” CENTCOM said.
A US official told Reuters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, that the ongoing US strikes against Iran would be greater in number than the ones carried out on Tuesday.
The latest round of attacks, which the United States said it launched in response to Tuesday’s assault on three cargo ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, rattled several cities along Iran’s southern coast and left some areas without power.
Control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil supplies pass, has given Tehran significant leverage, effectively allowing it to force a stalemate with the world’s most powerful military. While Iran has not claimed responsibility for the attacks on the cargo ships, analysts say Tehran uses such actions to create leverage as it negotiates a long-term deal with the United States.
The latest escalation dented hopes of turning a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 into a permanent peace deal to end the war, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28. Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to earlier US strikes.
As the strikes unfolded, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported explosions near Konarak and Chabahar. Mehr also reported an explosion in Bandar Abbas. Mehr further said that Iranian air defences were engaging “hostile targets” near Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA later reported power cuts in parts of Chabahar after the explosions were heard.
Iran’s Nournews, citing a military source, reported that the Iranian armed forces would launch a “massive” attack on US Army bases in the region shortly in retaliation.
‘IRAN WAR INTERIM DEAL IS OVER’
Asked before a Nato summit in Turkey whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump said, “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them.”
“If we make a deal with Iran I’m not sure that will stick,” Trump later said. “I found them to be very dishonourable people.”
Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to escalate military action before backing off, also said he did not expect a return to full-fledged war and that it was not clear whether negotiations on reaching a permanent deal would continue.
I’M NO. 1 ON IRAN’S KILL LIST: TRUMP
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US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that he is Iran’s “number one target” and warned that Tehran cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, while defending his administration’s military action against the Islamic Republic. He also said he did not expect the conflict with Iran to flare up again, insisting any future escalation would be brief.
Speaking at a press conference after the Nato summit in Ankara, Trump said he believed Iran could be plotting to assassinate him but insisted he would not back down.
TRUMP SAYS CONFLICT WILL END QUICKLY
Despite the recent military exchanges, Trump said he did not expect the confrontation between Washington and Tehran to reignite.
“I don’t think it’s going to start again. I think it’s going to go very quickly,” he said.
Referring to the recent exchange of strikes, Trump added:
“They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder.”
He also argued that any future escalation would be short-lived and would ultimately improve security in the region.
“Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly … and will only make it safer, including for oil.”
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
