&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Targeting Iran's military capabilities': US launches fresh strikes as explosions rock Ahvaz, Chabahar")
The United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday (July 15), escalating its campaign against Tehran as Washington said the operation was aimed at protecting international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes began at 1900 GMT and targeted Iranian military assets allegedly being used to threaten vessels transiting the strategic waterway.
"The strikes are targeting Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels freely transiting through the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The renewed attacks come amid mounting tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining at the centre of the confrontation. Nearly a fifth of the world's oil supply passes through the narrow maritime corridor, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets.
As the US operation unfolded, explosions were reported in multiple parts of southern Iran. Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency said blasts were heard in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, although the exact source and location were not immediately known.
In a separate report, Mehr said three explosions were also heard in the southeastern port city of Chabahar. Iranian authorities had not immediately confirmed the cause of the explosions or reported any casualties.
The latest military action came as Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that Tehran would continue to pursue diplomacy while remaining prepared for a prolonged military confrontation. "We have never welcomed war and do not, but we must always be ready to fight and stand to the end to safeguard our national security and interests," Ghalibaf said in a statement.
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He accused the United States of attempting to overthrow the Islamic Republic and fragment Iran, describing the current conflict as an "essential and existential war". Ghalibaf said Iran's strategy must combine military readiness with negotiations, arguing that treating war and diplomacy as mutually exclusive options would be a "strategic error".
