The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Monday morning a new round of strikes on Iran, aimed at "further degrading its capability" to attack civilian sailors and commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said in a statement that its forces began executing the strikes at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, adding that US President Donald Trump ordered the strikes "to hold Iranian forces accountable."

Iranian media reported hearing explosions in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as around Qeshm Island in southern Iran.

Rounds of escalation

The new round of US strikes came a day after the United States and Iran exchanged intensive missile and drone attacks, and Tehran targeted several Gulf states while simultaneously announcing the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian media reported hearing explosions in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik and around Qeshm Island in southern Iran, while the US Central Command said it struck about 140 Iranian military targets, bringing the number of targets hit over three nights to more than 300.

The US military stated that over three nights of strikes this week, CENTCOM targeted more than 300 military sites "to undermine Iran's ability to attack civilian sailors and commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

Iran announces closure of the strait

Earlier on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to navigation until further notice, after saying it stopped a ship by firing warning shots when it attempted to cross via an "unauthorized route."

Tasnim news agency quoted the Revolutionary Guard Navy as saying that several ships attempted to cross via an unauthorized route and did not respond to warnings and instructions demanding they correct course and adhere to the designated route.

In response, the US Central Command rejected the closure announcement in a later statement, saying "Iran does not control the strait" and that navigation continues despite "aggressions, harassment, threats, and arbitrary announcements" from Tehran.

The Combined Maritime Information Center, led by the US Navy, confirmed that the expanded southern route near Oman remains available for navigation in both directions, while keeping the security threat level at critical.