The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday the start of a new wave of military strikes against Iran, confirming that it is the fifth consecutive night of operations aimed, according to Washington, at weakening Iranian military capabilities.

CENTCOM said in a post on platform 'X' that US forces began at 2:00 PM Thursday Eastern Time a new wave of strikes, adding that the operations aim to 'continue weakening Iranian military capabilities.'

The announcement comes hours after Iranian reports indicated that sites near Qeshm Island and the city of Bandar Abbas were hit by US strikes, in the latest escalation between the two sides.

According to Iranian media, the strikes targeted sites near Qeshm Island at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, while Fars news agency reported the fall of US missiles near Bandar Abbas, without an official announcement of casualties or the extent of damage.