US Central Command says strikes launched on IRGC targets in Iran

U.S. Central Command said it has begun strikes on targets belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inside Iran. The command said the operation follows recent IRGC attempts to target shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military personnel. Iranian media reported explosions near the airport on Qeshm Island, close to the port city of Bandar Abbas, on Tuesday evening, with six to eight separate blasts recorded along the island's southern coast. The deputy governor of Sistan and Baluchestan province confirmed that four missiles struck areas around the cities of Chabahar and Kenarak. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that a powerful strike would be carried out against Iran, while defending the tightening of existing sanctions. The escalation follows a U.S. strike on Larak Island and subsequent military exchanges that have raised tensions across the region. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global energy shipments and maritime trade, remains the central flashpoint of the confrontation. No further details on casualties or the scope of the U.S. operation were immediately available.