President Donald Trump claimed the latest US strikes hit Iran 'very hard,' adding that the attacks were carried out 'in honor' of three US soldiers killed in recent days in Jordan and Iraq.

In the early hours of Monday local time, US Central Command (Centcom) announced a 'new wave' of strikes for the ninth consecutive night, as explosions were reported across several Iranian cities.

The US purportedly targeted military sites and communications networks to 'further diminish' Tehran's attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran allegedly responded with a 'surprise attack' in Syria and targeted US aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba airport.

Kuwait's armed forces claimed to have intercepted Iranian drones. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that cities including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr, and Bandar Imam Khomeini were hit. State media reported that two oil tankers exploded while attempting to cross the strait.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that the tankers 'exploded and were brought to a halt' on a 'dangerous southern route' of the strait. Centcom disputed these claims. The IRGC warned that the strait 'will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products' as long as US strikes continue and vowed a 'punitive operation.'

Over the weekend, the US confirmed a service member was killed in an Iranian attack in northern Iraq. Two soldiers were killed in a separate attack on a base in Jordan, with a third missing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the US 'always remains open to a diplomatic solution,' but insisted the world must decide whether to allow Iran to control an international waterway.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk