Explosions were reported Wednesday night across Iran as the US launched strikes on the country, hours after President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire was over.
Mr Trump had also earlier threatened to “hit Iran very hard” on Wednesday night.
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Al Jazeera reported explosions in Sirik, Bushehr, Konarak and Chabahar. Air defence systems were activated in several parts of the country.
Iran retaliated by attacking US interests in Bahrain and Kuwait.
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Mr Trump earlier said the US may “de-nuclearise” Iran without a deal.
“It’s easier”, Mr Trump said. He also emphasised that the US’s primary goal with the war is the de-nuclearisation of Iran.
Meanwhile, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), announcing the latest wave of attacks, said the additional strikes against Iran were to “further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
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PREMIUM TIMES reported that the US and Iran had traded strikes on Tuesday night. Following this, Mr Trump threatened to reimpose a naval blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and possibly take over the Kharg Island.
“Anybody else can have whatever they want, of course, he said.
“They’ll [Iran] drop some mines if they can … but it’s hard because we’re taking out those little boats now with the same weapon we use to take out the drug lords.”
The latest attacks started when Iran fired at civilian vessels trying to cross the Omani part of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said such a move violates its ceasefire with the US which it interprets as giving Iran the right to control free ship movement in the Strait during the ceasefire period. However, the US said the Iranian attacks violated the ceasefire and launched its own attacks on Iran.
Iran sees the control of the Strait of Hormuz as the major deterrent against future US attacks. It believes that if it gives that up, it could lose its negotiating position. However the US and many other countries want a totally free navigation in the Strait, devoid of Iranian control.
READ ALSO: Trump doubts US responsibility for fatal Iranian girls’ school strike
Mr Trump also revoked the temporary suspension of US sanctions on Iranian oil sales following the attacks on the civilian vessel.
He blamed Iran for the recent escalation of attacks, while claiming Iranian leaders had been worried that the US would attack during Ali Khamenei’s burial and had asked for a “timeout.”
“They asked for a timeout; they wanted to go to the funeral of Khamenei, and I said give it to them, and they started shooting missiles”, he said.
“I mean, it was a crazy thing. Now we did kill him, so I guess you have to look at it that way.”
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