The U.S. military announced Wednesday that it had completed a new wave of airstrikes against Iran, marking the 11th consecutive night of operations.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted Iranian military operations centers, naval capabilities, aircraft shelters, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure.
In a statement, CENTCOM said the operations are intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, alleging that Tehran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway.
The command described the attacks as “unprovoked”, saying they had endangered the lives of hundreds of civilian mariners and undermined freedom of navigation.
Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported that air defense systems had been activated in western, eastern, and northeastern Tehran. The semi-official Nour News Agency also reported that air defenses in the capital had been activated to intercept what it described as “hostile targets.”
The Tasnim News Agency reported hearing several explosions west of Tabriz in northwestern Iran, while the Fars News Agency, citing officials in East Azerbaijan Province, said a military site near Tabriz had been struck in a U.S. airstrike.
In southern Iran, Fars reported explosions in various parts of the city of Sirik. However, an official in Hormozgan Province told Tasnim that no attack or explosion had occurred in Sirik or elsewhere in the province.
No official assessment of the damage or casualties resulting from the strikes has yet been released.
In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the cost of the U.S. military campaign against Iran has reached $37.5 billion, nearly $8 billion higher than the previous public estimate. He said the figure also includes projected costs through September 30.
Hegseth made the remarks during testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, in his first public hearing since U.S. forces resumed operations against Iran earlier this month.
President Donald Trump also said Tuesday that the United States has not completed its military operations against Iran, accusing Tehran of intensifying attacks against countries in the region.
“Iran may need 15 to 20 years to rebuild what the war has destroyed,” Trump said. “If we leave now, Iran will need 15 to 20 years to rebuild, but we are not finished at all, and we are not leaving now.”
The latest developments come after Kuwait and Bahrain were subjected to new attacks on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Pakistan, which has acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran in recent months, renewed its call for restraint amid the absence of any clear path toward reviving the memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in June.
Concerns are also mounting that the conflict could widen further after Yemen’s Houthis threatened to impose a blockade on Saudi ports, a move that could further disrupt global energy markets already affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: Reuters
