Washington, Jul 12 (V7N) — The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has said that 140 targets were struck during the third round of U.S. military operations against Iran.
According to a report by Iran International published on Sunday, CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out in response to the alleged attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the Cyprus-flagged container vessel MV GFS Galaxy while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest operation marks a further escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran, which has intensified in recent weeks amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press, citing U.S. officials on Saturday, reported that President Donald Trump has given American negotiators a limited period to reach an agreement with Iran. According to the officials, the U.S. administration has also prepared several alternative options should diplomatic efforts fail.
In Tehran, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a message on Saturday that avenging the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a February 28 airstrike, has become a national duty. He warned that the demand for retaliation "must be fulfilled."
The exchange of military actions and increasingly confrontational rhetoric has further raised concerns about the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East and its potential impact on regional security and global maritime trade.
END/SMA/AJ
