©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Kyle Mazza
While he himself appeared to be carefree as he watched the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in New York, Donald Trump’s forces struck mercilessly in Iran not long after.
The United States and Iran have been bombarding each other for eight nights in a row, and the conflict is further escalating tensions in the Middle East. As Washington carries out new airstrikes on Iranian military and infrastructure targets, Tehran is threatening retaliation and further disruption of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian authorities, the port city of Bushehr was targeted again on Monday morning. Iran’s only nuclear power plant is also located in that city. Governor Mohammad Mozaffari said that “a few minutes ago,” several locations in Bushehr were struck by projectiles fired by the American enemy. Explosions were also reported in other parts of Iran. The U.S. Air Force said it had carried out another wave of attacks to further weaken Iranian military capabilities. Among the targets were reportedly logistics sites, security posts, and underground weapons storage facilities. Earlier, U.S. airstrikes on bridges in the port city of Bandar Khamir had already resulted in fatalities.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at an impasse
At the same time, tensions at sea continue to escalate. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard reported that on Monday, two oil tankers exploded and came to a halt in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Guard, the ships were traveling on a route considered unsafe, and the United States allegedly encouraged them to use that route. The names or flags of the ships were not disclosed. Tehran asserts that the strait will remain unsafe as long as U.S. “aggression” continues. The Revolutionary Guard warned that no transport of oil or gas will be possible— “not even a single drop”—as long as the attacks continue.
The U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday evening that the U.S. had once again struck Iran “very hard” in retaliation for the deaths of American service members in the Middle East in recent days. He described the attacks as being “in honor of” those soldiers. According to Reuters , the U.S. military has now carried out attacks for the ninth consecutive night, while Iran, in turn, is targeting U.S. targets and allies in the region. As a result, a diplomatic breakthrough seems further away than ever.
©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Kyle Mazza