US launches new strikes against Iran as war escalates

BREAKING: US military launches new strikes against Iran, hitting IRGC targets in the country's south, as fighting escalates following attempted attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and on American troops.

The United States is striking Iran again tonight. Central Command says it's hitting Revolutionary Guard targets in the country's south, and Iranian media are reporting explosions near Kenerak, Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island.

CENTCOM says the strikes are a response to attempted IRGC attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and on American troops in the region. That waterway carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil, which is why every escalation there gets felt far beyond the Gulf.

This follows Sunday's exchange, when the US hit Larak Island and Tehran fired missiles at a base housing American troops in Jordan. Those were the first attacks by either side since July. And remember, the Trump administration had said it was moving away from military strikes toward economic pressure.

That shift lasted barely a month. Tonight, both sides are shooting again, and neither has said where this stops.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.