Tehran/Washington, 19 July (H.S.): Acting on the orders of President Donald Trump, the United States military carried out a fresh round of airstrikes against Iran on Saturday night, marking the eighth consecutive night of attacks. The operation was described by the US as a response to the Iranian strike on a US military base in Jordan that killed two American soldiers.

In a statement posted on X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that at 6:00 p.m. local time, US forces launched new air operations against Iranian targets under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief.

According to CENTCOM, the objective of the strikes was to further degrade Iran's ability to disrupt commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and to retaliate against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces allegedly responsible for the previous night's attack on US troops in Jordan.

In the latest operation, US fighter aircraft and missiles targeted military installations in the southern Iranian coastal locations of Sirik, Hajiabad, Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island.

The strikes followed a series of sustained US attacks over recent days that reportedly damaged multiple bridges, railway stations, airports, power grids and a water treatment facility across Iran.

Iran, in turn, launched retaliatory attacks targeting US military installations in Gulf countries. According to Iranian military sources, drones and ballistic missiles were fired at American military bases and the US Fifth Fleet command facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The US Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, activated its air defence systems in response to the heightened threat of aerial attacks.

Iran's Health Ministry claimed that between June 27 and July 18, US airstrikes had killed 50 people and injured more than 500 others.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar