US concludes 6th straight night of strikes against Iran as Hormuz tensions grow

U.S. Central Command said on Thursday evening that it had concluded a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with tensions in the Strait of Hormuz remaining high amid conflicting signals on passage through the waterway. 

Iran said it had retaliated with attacks on U.S. military bases in surrounding Gulf countries in the early hours of Friday, and reiterated that Hormuz was closed. Iranian media also reported that the latest U.S. attacks had struck some civilian infrastructure, including five bridges and a railway station. 

CENTCOM said the attacks were aimed at further degrading Iranian military capabilities and “holding Iran accountable” for attacks on commercial shipping. 

Shipping through Hormuz was largely halted earlier this week, Marine Traffic data showed, as Iran once again blockaded the waterway, while the U.S. reinstated its naval blockade on the country. 

The latest round of hostilities stem from Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in Hormuz, which it claims were attempting to cross the waterway in a route not designated by Tehran. 

Iran also signaled earlier this week that it could push its Houthi allies in Yemen to attack shipping in another key strait in the Red Sea. 

U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier in July declared a ceasefire with Iran as over, with the status of a June memorandum of understanding between the two countries remaining largely uncertain.