US forces launched a fresh wave of strikes against targets in Iran shortly before midnight on Monday, the third such assault in as many days, following further attacks the previous week.

Initial reports pointed to a series of explosions in Bandar Abbas and on the islands of Sirri and Qeshm, sites that had also been hit on previous days.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, were aimed at curbing Iran’s ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said that it had launched the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran at the commander in chief’s direction. The strikes, it added, would continue to impose a heavy cost on Iranian forces and curb their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

At 4:45 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief's direction. These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026

Iran responded with at least one ballistic missile fired at the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

Iranian strikes on oil tankers

Iran had earlier announced on Monday that it had launched cruise missiles at an “enemy vessel of the American foe,” though the outcome was unclear. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB also reported that drones had been launched at a base housing a US Patriot air defence system, though it remained unclear whether the site was hit.

In a parallel development, the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence said two of its oil tankers had come under Iranian cruise missile attack, killing one Indian crew member aboard the tanker Mombasa and injuring eight others. The tanker Al Bahiyah was also hit. Fires broke out on both vessels.

The ministry condemned the attack as “a serious and clear violation of international law,” adding that the UAE reserved every right to respond to the escalation and would take all necessary measures to protect its territory, people and residents.

Trump: “In the end I think we’ll control everything”

President Trump made these comments to reporters after the strikes began. Asked how long the new round of attacks would last, he said it was “going very fast.” Referring to the Strait of Hormuz, he added that theUS had “demolished their military,” was “attacking them,” and that “in the end I think we’ll end up controlling the whole thing.”

He went on to say that the US had “enormous quantities of ammunition” and that the campaign would continue, adding that Washington was neutralising Iran’s entire offensive capability and controlling the strait. He also said the US was “reinstating the blockade, and it’s a blockade that concerns Iran exclusively.”

Q: You told Congress we are back at war with Iran. How long do you expect this to take?

TRUMP: Well, I think it's going very fast. We've demolished their military. We're attacking them tonight. I think in the end we'll end up controlling the whole thing. pic.twitter.com/oDTQQqfc1W

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 13, 2026

Earlier, Trump had warned in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that Iran would be hit hard on Monday and Tuesday. “We’re going to take out Pickaxe Mountain,” he said, referring to Iran’s underground nuclear facility, adding that the memorandum of understanding he had signed with Tehran had been “a test” that Iran had failed to honour.