Washington, March 18 (SANA) The US military announced Tuesday evening it had carried out strikes targeting Iranian anti-ship missile sites near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf region, using bunker-buster munitions.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement posted on X on March 18 that its forces “successfully employed several 5,000-pound bunker-buster munitions against fortified Iranian missile positions on the Iranian coast near the Strait of Hormuz.”
The command said the targeted Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles posed a threat to international maritime traffic in the strait, a vital passageway through which about 20 percent of global oil supplies transit.
A 2022 report by Air Force Times estimated the cost of each 5,000-pound bunker-buster bomb at about $288,000, noting that these munitions are less powerful than the 30,000-pound bombs previously used by the United States against Iranian nuclear sites.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered a key artery for global energy flows, and any disruption to shipping through the waterway is seen as a risk to global energy markets and food security.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region and disruptions affecting oil shipments through the strait.
US President Donald Trump has recently called on several countries to deploy naval forces to help secure global energy supplies passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
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