The full-scale conflict continues after Trump formally informed Congress of a new “defensive” bombing campaign
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched missile strikes against multiple US military facilities in the region after President Donald Trump promised to hit Iran “very hard” and claimed that “there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.”
“We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow,” Trump said on Monday.
The US Central Command announced shortly afterward that it had “begun launching the third consecutive night of strikes,” with heavy blasts reported across multiple regions of Iran.
In retaliation, the IRGC carried out strikes against several US military facilities in the region, including “weapons storage depots, a satellite communications center,” and the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
The US president formally notified Congress of his intention to renew “defensive” strikes against Iran, according to a letter dated Friday and obtained by the New York Times, Politico, and other outlets. The White House argued that the move gives the administration a fresh 60-day timeline before it must seek congressional approval.
Trump also claimed that Washington is “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy supply bottleneck, and would charge vessels “20% on all cargo shipped” in exchange for protection. Washington would also reinstate its blockade of Iranian ports and bar passage to vessels belonging to Iran or its customers, he added.
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