WASHINGTON DC: The United States has carried out another round of strikes against Iran for the sixth consecutive night, according to the US military, as tensions continue to escalate between the two countries over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest attacks were aimed at further weakening Iran’s military capabilities. The command also announced that US forces had boarded a vessel as part of efforts linked to a renewed blockade of the strategic waterway.
Iranian state media reported that US missiles hit areas near Qeshm Island, located close to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Bandar Abbas and Bushehr, where Iran’s nuclear power facility is located. It also reported strikes on two bridges in Hormozgan province. The BBC confirmed an attack on one bridge west of Bandar Abbas.
The reported strikes came after US President Donald Trump earlier warned that Iran’s bridges and power infrastructure could be targeted if Tehran failed to return to negotiations.
The threat to attack civilian infrastructure has drawn international concern. UN human rights chief Volker Türk previously warned that deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian facilities could constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law. The 1949 Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on locations essential for civilian survival.
Meanwhile, Centcom said US Marines had boarded an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as part of Washington’s renewed blockade measures targeting Iran’s ports, which began earlier this week.
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