The US has launched fresh strikes on Iran for the seventh consecutive day.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) says American forces have carried out a seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran, describing the campaign as part of efforts to further degrade the country’s military capabilities.
In a statement, CENTCOM said a new phase of operations had begun under the direction of the US Commander-in-Chief, with the aim of limiting Iran’s military capacity.
The US military did not disclose the locations or specific targets of the latest strikes, saying only that the operations were continuing according to a planned strategy.
US officials said the campaign is intended to protect American interests and allies in the region while weakening Iran’s military capabilities.
CENTCOM also claimed that, during a three-day blockade of Iranian ports, four commercial vessels were forced to change course, while one vessel was disabled.
The statement did not provide further details about the disabled vessel, including its nationality, the circumstances of the incident, or whether there were any casualties.
CENTCOM said military operations would continue but did not announce any further details about future actions.
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Iran launches retaliatory strikes against US
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it shot down a US surveillance drone in the southwestern province of Khuzestan and targeted the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington.
According to Iranian state media, the IRGC said the RQ-11 Raven drone was flying near Iranian airspace close to the city of Ramshir when it was brought down by members of the Basij force.
Iranian officials alleged that the drone was conducting surveillance and gathering intelligence, but did not release images of the wreckage or provide further evidence to support the claim.
The RQ-11 Raven is a small unmanned reconnaissance aircraft used by the US military for short-range surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions.
Separately, Iran claimed it had targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the Middle East and the forward headquarters of US Central Command.
However, Qatar and the US had not officially confirmed the claim at the time of reporting.
Qatar has previously maintained that Al Udeid Air Base has not been used to launch US military operations against Iran.
The claims come as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, with the international community closely monitoring developments in the region.
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