US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that it has completed additional strikes against multiple targets inside Iran.
"CENTCOM forces launched strikes on Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defence sites across Iran," the military said in a statement.
"US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters."
The strikes, carried out at President Donald Trump's direction, followed Iran's downing earlier this week of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.
"The strikes are in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression. US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready," CENTCOM added
Massive explosions
Earlier, US forces initiated a fresh series of strikes against multiple targets in Iran to halt what it terms ongoing hostility.
Shortly after the announcement, fresh explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and Sirik, with another blast heard near Minab in the southern province of Hormozgan, according to the state-run Mehr News Agency.
The latest bombardments came after a day of sustained military activity across the region.
Mehr reported that a series of detonations outside Fars city was the result of air defence systems activating.
Air defence activity was also heard over western Tehran, while some blasts rumbled from afar near Kish Island.
Trump, Hegseth vowed heavy strikes
On Wednesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Washington will soon be bombing "key facilities" in Iran.
"Central Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard, and we will be," Hegseth said outside US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
"Iran has a chance to make a good deal, a great deal... Instead, they're going to have tap, tap, tap bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the United States of America."
Hegseth added that the Pentagon is "prepared to set the terms to ensure we get the kind of deal President Trump expects," noting that the planned operations "will be strong" and "clear."
President Donald Trump also stated on Wednesday that the US will resume attacks on Iran after insufficient progress in negotiations to end the war.
"We're going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard," Trump said in the Oval Office, suggesting Iran's recent downing of a US Apache helicopter provides the necessary pretext.
"Based on the helicopter, I guess we have the right to do that," he told reporters.
Trump expressed deep frustration with the slow pace of the ongoing peace talks with Tehran. "I've been working with Iran for a number of months," he said.
"They should sign the deal. It's a good deal. It was just tap, tap, tap. I don't know what they're doing."
