United States launched strikes on Iran for the third consecutive night, marking a new escalation in the resumption of hostilities. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said, the strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

 

US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear site near Natanz where Western intelligence suspects Iran is building an undeclared enrichment facility.

 

Earlier yesterday, President Donald Trump announced that the US will reinstate a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and impose a 20 per cent charge on cargo transiting the strategic waterway to cover the cost of maritime security. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said the blockade would apply only to Iranian ships and vessels trading with Iran. He added, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. He  assured that commercial traffic from other countries would continue to have free passage.

 

On the other hand, Iran has asserted its authority over the Strait of Hormuz and rejected the US move. According to Iranian state media, Central Headquarters spokesperson Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari said Iran will not, under any circumstances, allow the US to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. He also warned that any regional country providing logistical support to US forces would be regarded as committing an act of war against Iran.

 

The International Maritime Organization, the United Nations agency overseeing international shipping, said it was waiting to find out more about Trump’s proposal but remained opposed to tolls for passage through international waterways.