The U.S. Central Command announced Monday evening that the United States began a new round of strikes on Iran at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (20:00 GMT).

The announcement coincided with Iranian media reports of an explosion heard in the city of Bandar Abbas, while news agencies reported that air defense systems were activated near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, in addition to explosions heard near the city of Sirik, with no clear cause yet.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran with 'paying the price' for the killing of American soldiers, after a number of U.S. military personnel fell in combat in the past few days, in one of the deadliest periods for U.S. forces since the outbreak of war in February.

The number of dead in the U.S. military rose to 17 soldiers in recent days, while the remains of another soldier continue to be examined, and the deaths of two soldiers in an Iranian attack targeting U.S. military personnel in Jordan were confirmed.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social: 'Every time Iran kills an American soldier, they will pay the price multiple times,' adding that he has issued his instructions to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Kane in this regard.

Six U.S. soldiers were killed last March when an Iranian drone targeted a U.S. military facility in the port of Shuaiba in Kuwait.

Discuss the news with artificial intelligence.