The US, on Tuesday night, continued its attack on Iran, making it the 11th consecutive night of attacks.
CENTCOM announced the conclusion of the latest round of strikes on X, listing drone storage facilities, aircraft hangers and military logistics infrastructure as some of the key Iranian assets targeted in the strike.
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Its aim remains to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM announced, although the Strait was fully open for all shipping until the US and Israel attacked Iran unprovoked in February.
The Strait borders Iran and Oman, and Iran has used the closure of the Strait, through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes, as leverage in the war. On Tuesday, two commercial ships, which tried to pass through the Strait without Iranian permission, were hit by projectiles, allegedly fired by Iran, and engulfed in flames.
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The war has cost the US approximately $37.5 billion, an increase of nearly $8 billion since the last estimate in May, War Secretary Peter Hegseth told lawmakers.
Mr Hegseth also requested an urgent $87 billion from Congress for the Pentagon.
He told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that $67 billion of the requested funds is destined for operations in the Middle East.
However, the hearing was repeatedly disrupted by anti-war protesters and ended in a shouting match between the defence secretary and a senator.
According to CENTCOM, Iran’s continuous attacks on commercial vessels passing through Hormuz have necessitated American military action.
“Over the past three months, Iran has attacked more than 30 commercial vessels transiting the international waterway vital for regional and global trade. The unwarranted attacks have endangered hundreds of innocent mariners and undermined freedom of navigation,” it said.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened to attack an Iranian underground nuclear site in the Pickaxe Mountain area in the south of Iran.
The area is close to the Natanz nuclear enrichment site. Tehran, in response, threatened to expand the war in the region should the US make good its threat.
Iran earlier retaliated against CENTCOM’s Tuesday night strikes with strikes on US Middle East allies.
Neighbouring Gulf states that host US military bases have been engulfed in the recent exchange of strikes between the two countries, particularly Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain.
READ ALSO: US warns citizens against trips to Middle East as strikes against Iran continue
Iran’s latest round of strikes targeted US facilities at Camp Doha, western Kuwait.
Al Jazeera, quoting state media, reported that the Iranian military struck “ammunition depots” and “ground forces command logistics equipment” at the base in Kuwait.
The country, subjected daily to Iranian strikes, has also begun rationing electricity after Tehran struck its power infrastructure.
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