©picture alliance / Photoshot | -
The United States carried out new attacks on Iran on Tuesday evening and overnight, marking the eleventh consecutive night of the campaign. According to U.S. Central Command, the airstrikes were intended to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Pickaxe Mountain
The escalation follows new warnings from Donald Trump, who hinted that the next target could be Pickaxe Mountain, an underground nuclear site near Natanz. The U.S. president told reporters that the U.S. would strike that complex “fairly soon and very hard.” Tehran subsequently warned that such an attack would be viewed as an escalation of the war in the region. According to CENTCOM , the latest attacks targeted military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure. The U.S. military also says that Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months, which is said to have endangered hundreds of sailors and undermined freedom of navigation. Nevertheless, Centcom stated that the waterway remains open to commercial shipping.
The repercussions are now being felt throughout the region. Iran reported the activation of air defense systems in Tehran and explosions in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, and Bushehr—home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant—among other locations. Kuwait also said Wednesday morning that its air defenses intercepted drone attacks from Iran, while Bahrain and Jordan reported intercepting drone and missile attacks. Meanwhile, maritime unrest continues to escalate. Due to the tensions, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already declined sharply, and the attacks in and around the Gulf are further driving up prices on global energy markets. Trump also threatened to take action against the Houthis in Yemen if they carried out their threats against Saudi ports.
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