The U.S. military conducted further strikes against multiple targets in Iran on Saturday, following President Donald Trump's directive. These actions represent a continuation of recent attacks that have destabilized an uneasy ceasefire.
According to U.S. Central Command, American military aircraft targeted Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities. These strikes were in response to an attack on a merchant vessel earlier Saturday morning.
This incident follows a similar pattern of escalation from days prior. On Thursday, an Iranian drone struck the merchant vessel Kiku, which was carrying over two million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military retaliated with strikes the following day.
U.S. Central Command stated that Iran had an opportunity to adhere to the ceasefire agreement but chose not to when its forces attacked the Kiku. State television in Iran reported explosions in an area north of the Strait of Hormuz.