The US Central Command announced Monday evening that at 4:45 PM Eastern Time today, US military forces, directed by the commander-in-chief, began launching strikes against Iran for the third consecutive night.

It added that these strikes will continue to inflict heavy losses on Iranian forces and undermine their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US military affirmed that American forces continue to target sites inside Iran, in a new escalation of the confrontation between the two countries, which has seen an exchange of missile and drone attacks in recent hours.

In response, Iranian television reported hearing explosions in the southern city of Bandar Abbas and two blasts on Kish Island, without revealing the extent of damage or the nature of the targets that were bombed.

Iranian television also quoted the Iranian military as saying it targeted a 'hostile' US ship using cruise missiles, while also announcing drone attacks targeting US military facilities and equipment in Kuwait.