Iran-US war latest: Trump says Tehran will pay ‘many times over’ for US soldier deaths as Iran targets Kuwait – UK Times

The US military late last night said it finished its latest round of strikes on Iran, saying it hit Iranian military command ⁠centers, missile and drone launch sites, maritime capabilities and air defense systems.

The latest round of US strikes ⁠on Iran lasted about ​five hours, ⁠according to the US military, marking 10 consecutive nights of American strikes on Iran. Washington said ⁠it is attempting to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial ​vessels flowing through the Strait of ‌Hormuz”.

The strikes come as US president Donald Trump vowed revenge against Iran after the deadly weekend for US troops.

The Iranian army this morning claimed they have targeted three major US military installations in Kuwait using “kamikaze drones”.

The army claimed it struck administrative buildings and antennas at Camp Arifjan, a helicopter parking area at Camp Al-Adiri, and troop housing facilities at the Ahmed Al-Jaber base, according to Tasnim news agency.

“Security in the region has been disrupted following the mischief of US terrorist forces, and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic are attempting to restore security and calm to the region in their battle against the US,” the army added.

Oil prices eased this morning as markets weighed ​reports of mediation efforts between the US and Iran against an exchange of ‌fresh attacks between the two and threats of a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthis.

Brent crude futures eased 35 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to $88.87 per barrel, while US West Texas ​Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.47 a barrel.

Both contracts were ​trading below their highest levels in more than a month hit in ⁠the previous session.

A tanker ​in the Strait of Hormuz reported being struck by an unknown projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel and board a lifeboat, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said this morning.

UKMTO said it had received multiple reports that a tanker had broadcast over VHF Channel 16 that it had been hit by an unknown projectile. The incident was reported eight nautical miles east of Oman’s Limah and ⁠authorities were investigating.

UKMTO said the tanker’s company ​security ⁠officer had reported that the crew had abandoned the vessel and were aboard a lifeboat and no environmental impact had been ⁠reported.

Separately, Iran’s Revolutionary ​Guard said this morning that two ‌oil tankers had caught fire after explosions while attempting to transit the southern route of the strait.

The Guard said rescue teams were removing ‌the crews from the area but did not ‌identify the vessels.

A senior Iranian official ‌said on Monday that Tehran had received a proposal from mediators for a 10-day ceasefire in efforts to salvage the ‌interim deal, intended to pave the way to a lasting agreement to end the war that began on 28 February with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Neither the ministry nor the official who spoke to Reuters gave any details on the putative ceasefire discussions.

Two Pakistani government sources said separately that Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni had asked Pakistan to resume its mediation role in the conflict. He later arrived in Islamabad for further talks.

The diplomatic push followed another night of US strikes on Iranian cities and attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on US military assets across the region. ⁠U.S. Central Command said Monday afternoon US time that it had begun another round of strikes on Iran.

President Donald Trump, under mounting political pressure at home over rising gasoline prices since the war began and Iran effectively closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, defended the latest strikes on Iran as honouring the deaths of American service members killed in recent Iranian attacks.

Net approval for Donald Trump’s decision to attack Iran is now as low as -30 per cent among Americans, according to recent polling.

Among Democrats, approval of the conflict now sits at -84%. Independents sit at -52%, while MAGA Republicans buck the trend with +72%, per The Economist.

More than half only approve “somewhat” of the handling of the war, while non-MAGA Republicans have turned from supporting the war on balance (+26% in April to -25% now), per Washington Post/Ipsos.

Dozens of US service members were injured in a fresh Iranian attack on Friday, several US officials have said, despite no announcement from the Pentagon.

The attacks injured US forces and damaged helicopters, they told the New York Times on condition of anonymity.

Those strikes were not disclosed by the Pentagon, however, which an official said is not required to release information about injured service members.

The NYT cast the revelation as the latest example of friction between the Pentagon’s insistence on security versus the government’s obligation to be transparent with the public about its war conduct.

Travel advice has been updated for Jordan after missiles were intercepted in the vicinity of Aqaba’s airport and seaport.

The UK government is currently advising against all but essential travel to that area.

Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait have reported intercepting Iranian drones and missiles as attacks across the region have intensified.

At least two US service members were killed in action in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.

The US military has said that it has redirected seven commercial vessels and disabled one as part of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.

We’ll bring you more as we get it.