Washington: The United States launched fresh strikes on Iran’s southeastern port city of Chabahar on Thursday as the two adversaries exchanged attacks for a second consecutive day after President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “over.”
Explosions were reported across Chabahar, with Iranian state media reporting widespread power outages in parts of the city. Residents said they heard multiple blasts as emergency services rushed to affected areas. The attack marked the first strike on the strategic port since the US-Iran ceasefire was announced in April.
According to US military officials, the operation targeted maritime infrastructure and military facilities that Washington said supported Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In the latest wave of strikes, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck about 90 Iranian targets.
“US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Initial reports indicated the strikes hit piers, a maritime traffic control tower and nearby military assets while avoiding civilian port facilities and critical energy infrastructure.
The latest US action followed Tuesday’s attack on three cargo ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington blamed on Iran. Trump warned Tehran that the strikes would “get much worse” if it continued targeting commercial vessels in the strategically important waterway.
Iran responded with a second straight day of attacks targeting Kuwait and Bahrain, both of which host US military bases. The latest exchange further escalated tensions in the region and raised fresh concerns about efforts to end the conflict.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed the United States had inflicted far greater damage than Iran.
“We just hit them very hard, and I say we hit them 20 to 1,” he said, adding that every time “they hit us, we’re going to hit them 20.”
Asked whether Washington was heading toward a full-scale military conflict with Tehran, Trump replied, “I don’t know, but we would win it very quickly.”
The US president also claimed Washington had already “won militarily” in Iran, saying the country had “very little left” and wanted a deal “so badly.”
“I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal, that’s the problem,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, wrote on X that the United States “still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free.”
