Hostilities between the United States and Iran around the Strait of Ormuz continue to escalate, with Donald Trump suggesting on social media that the Strait of Ormuz should be renamed "Trump Strait," in a stylized post written entirely in capitals on his Truth Social platform. This proposal comes after American bombings in southern Iran that killed 19 people, including children at a wedding.
In response to the American attacks, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked American bases in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and in Iraqi Kurdistan, using medium-range Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles, capable of hitting targets up to 1,500 kilometers away. US Central Command (CENTCOM) declared that it does not target civilians in its operations.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to CENTCOM's statements by recalling civilian victims from American military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the Kakarak attacks in 2002 and Mukaradeeb in 2004. CENTCOM had announced last week that the Strait was clear of mines, but the IRGC contradicted this version by reporting that two tankers were on fire after colliding with mines. Iranian forces also announced the capture of a vessel in the northern Gulf carrying approximately 380,000 liters of contraband fuel.
