US military says it’s carrying out ‘self-defence strikes’ against Iran

WASHINGTON – The US military said it had launched strikes against “multiple” targets in Iran for the second day in a row after President Donald Trump accused the country of dragging out talks on an interim peace deal.

US Central Command said it began what it called the “additional self-defence strikes” at 5.15pm New York time on June 10 (5.15am, Singapore time, June 11). “The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression,” it added.

Iranian media reported explosions in the country’s south near the Strait of Hormuz early on June 11 after Washington acknowledged carrying out the strikes.

Explosions were heard in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the island of Qeshm, the cities of Minab and Sirik, they said.

Iranian sources reported hits by “enemy projectiles” in Qeshm and the cities of Kargan and Sirik.

Hours later, Iran’s top joint military command announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including oil tankers and commercial ships, saying any vessel that will attempt passage will be shot at. 

The attacks, which followed strikes on June 9 in retaliation for the downing of a US Apache helicopter, underscored Trump’s growing impatience that the two sides have so far failed to reach an agreement.

It also offered fresh evidence that a ceasefire agreed upon in April has collapsed, even though the US and Israel have not returned to the intensive bombing campaign that marked the early days of the conflict.

For months, Trump has vacillated between threats of intensified attacks and boasting that a peace deal is within reach.

Yet neither scenario has materialised and the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil and other commodities, remains largely closed despite American efforts to ease Iran’s chokehold.

“We’re going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard,” Trump told reporters at the White House on June 10, before the latest strikes were announced. “We hit them hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit them hard again today.”

Trump declined to say what targets US forces would hit. The Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the US of striking of striking civilian infrastruture.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, visiting the headquarters of US Central Command in Florida, argued before the strikes began that they were intended to push Iran to make a deal.

“We’ll strike ‘em hard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision,” he told reporters.

Later on June 10, Trump posted that the US military had supported the passage of “more than 200 commercial ships” through the key waterway, resulting in “more than 100 million barrels of oil” making it to market. He went on to claim the US controls the strait, “not Iran”.

Before Trump spoke, a White House official said talks were continuing but vowed that the US would exert maximum pressure until a deal is reached.

The semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency reported that a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on June 10 to discuss the diplomatic process to end the war. BLOOMBERG, AFP, REUTERS