US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Donald Trump warns of even more attacks if Tehran retaliates

US forces launched fresh strikes on targets linked to Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC marking a further escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran as President Donald Trump warned that additional and more extensive attacks could follow if Iran retaliatesTrump described the latest strikes near the Strait of Hormuz as large and powerful in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday local time He said Iran would face further military action if it responded to the US operationTrump warns Iran against retaliationIf Iran retaliates for this very justified attack they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level Trump saidBut it will not be the biggest attack of them all that is waiting in the wings and when it is over there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran Trump addedIn a phone interview with Fox News Trump claimed that US forces had destroyed a significant number of radar systems in Irans military network including systems that Tehran had attempted to rebuildThis is a very big hit today If it goes a third time theyre going to be totally wiped out as a country Trump saidThe USS George Washington is loaded to the gills he added Were loaded upCENTCOM confirms strikes on IRGC targetsTrumps remarks came shortly after the US Central Command CENTCOM announced that fresh strikes had been carried out against IRGC targets in Iran at around 12 pm Eastern Time or 1600 GMTCENTCOM said the strikes followed what it described as recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against US service members deployed in the regionThe latest military action has further raised concerns about a broader confrontation between the United States and Iran particularly amid tensions surrounding commercial shipping and military deployments in the strategically important Gulf regionTrump also said US allies in the Gulf had been informed ahead of the latest strikes according to a Fox News reportExplosions reported in Iranian port citiesExplosions were reported on Tuesday in the Iranian port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik as well as on Qeshm Island according to reports reaching international news agenciesThe areas are located near the Strait of Hormuz a critical global shipping route through which a significant share of the worlds oil and other energy supplies passIranian authorities had not immediately provided a detailed public assessment of the extent of the damage caused by the US strikesIran reportedly launches missiles towards US basesCiting sources Irans semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported that the Iranian military launched missiles towards US bases in countries across the region on Tuesday eveningThe report came as tensions rose sharply following the latest US strikesThe IRGC also issued a warning to Washington with Irans Fars news agency reporting that the force said the United States will regret its new attacksThere was no immediate independent confirmation of the reported missile launches or details regarding possible damage or casualtiesShipping security concerns grow in Strait of HormuzThe escalation has also raised concerns about the safety of commercial shipping through the Strait of HormuzTwo crude oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the waterway on Monday evening Greecebased maritime risk organisation Marisks said on TuesdayWith inputs from IANS