US Strikes Iran for 4th Night in a Week as Strait of Hormuz Fight Heats Up

The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran late Sunday, marking the fourth American attack on Iranian targets within a week [194591]. The operation, ordered by President Donald Trump and confirmed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), aims to "continue degrading their ability to attack civilian sailors and commercial ships passing freely through the Strait of Hormuz" [194591]. The strikes came hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on commercial ships passing through the strait [194591]. U.S. aircraft shot down an Iranian cruise missile and an attack drone during the engagement [194591].

Explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, near Jask, and in parts of Bushehr province, according to Iranian state media [194591]. This follows three consecutive nights of U.S. strikes earlier in the week [195462][192178]. On Wednesday, President Trump threatened that new, harsh U.S. attacks against Iran would likely come that evening [192064]. The U.S. military previously struck more than 80 targets in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the region [191608].

The escalating crossfire threatens an interim peace deal aimed at ending the war in the Persian Gulf [191880]. The Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17, which halted direct hostilities, now appears fragile as the conflict moves beyond proxy battles into direct confrontation [192398]. Iran condemned the latest wave of U.S. strikes, calling them a "waste" of recent diplomatic efforts [194591].