US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces have initiated strikes against Iran in the early morning hours of Monday.
In a statement on X/Twitter, CENTCOM stated that the strikes are intended to degrade Iran’s “ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
A CENTCOM spokesperson told CNN that US aircraft had so far successfully shot down an Iranian cruise missile and a one-way attack drone. The spokesperson added that within the past hour, Iran fired at a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Several explosions were heard in Iranian cities, including Sirik and Bandar Abbas, shortly after midnight on Monday, according to Iranian state media reports.
This is a developing story.