US strikes 'large and powerful' hits near Strait of Hormuz, Trump says

US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that American forces were striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the operation as "large and powerful" and warning Tehran against retaliation.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz." He said the strikes were in response to what he called Iran's "failed attempt" to plant sea mines in the strait, as well as an Iranian missile attack on a US base in Jordan in which he said eight missiles were fired and "all successfully knocked down."

Trump warned that any Iranian retaliation would be met with a heavier response. "If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level," he said, adding that a larger attack was "waiting in the wings" and would leave "very little" of Iran.

The US Central Command confirmed that the operation began at midday ET and targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities. The command said the strikes followed "attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region."

Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island, which sits on the northern side of the strait, and in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Chabahar. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of walking away from an earlier agreement, saying that negotiations involving Pakistan and Qatar had produced an interim memorandum of understanding. A 60-day deadline for a final deal expired last month without a breakthrough.

The Iranian armed forces said air defence units have been deployed at more than 3,800 locations across the country. Earlier this month, an Iranian general said about 160 Iranian air defence personnel had been killed in military conflicts involving the US and Israel since October 2024.