US Strikes Iranian Targets Amid Escalating Mideast Conflict

The US military struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday in response to Tehran's attempts to attack commercial ships and American forces in the Middle East, according to a statement from US President Donald Trump.

The strikes were part of a broader campaign against Iran's military capabilities, with the US targeting tankers belonging to Iran's state-owned oil company as part of a new 'tanker-for-tanker' policy. Under this policy, Washington will strike an Iranian oil tanker each time Tehran attacks a tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The US strikes also targeted air-defense systems, radar installations and anti-ship cruise-missile launchers, according to Channel 12 news. Iran's state television reported that several parts of Hormozgan province's power network had been struck, causing outages in the region.

In response to the US strikes, Iran fired ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan along the Gulf of Aqaba coast. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed to have killed a large number of US forces, but two US officials told Reuters that no casualties had been reported.