Washington, July 9 (SANA) The United States and Iran exchanged strikes on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington would intensify its military campaign if Tehran continued targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on social media, Trump said the latest U.S. strikes were carried out in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial vessels the previous day, warning that any further attacks would trigger a stronger U.S. response.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the United States had struck Iran “very hard” and would respond “twentyfold” to any future attacks.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the war had expired, adding that he no longer intended to engage with Tehran.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday that American forces carried out an additional round of strikes on Wednesday night, targeting about 90 Iranian military sites.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said the targets included air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coast.
The command said the strikes were intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz and followed an earlier operation targeting around 80 military sites, including more than 60 vessels belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
CENTCOM said the operations were conducted under the direct orders of the U.S. commander-in-chief in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, Bahrain said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed several Iranian missiles and drones targeting the kingdom.
In a statement posted on X, Bahrain’s Defense Force said its military remains at the highest level of readiness and urged the public to follow official safety instructions and report any suspicious objects.
Kuwait also said its air defense systems intercepted hostile missiles and drones after they entered the country’s airspace.
The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces said the explosions heard across parts of the country were caused by interception operations and urged residents to comply with guidance issued by the relevant authorities.
On Wednesday, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense said its air defense systems had intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 Iranian drones that entered the country’s airspace.
T.S /ABD
