U.S. forces used multiple 5,000-pound bombs to strike Iranian missile facilities near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon officials said late Tuesday.
U.S. Central Command offered little detail on the operation other than saying it targeted Iran’s anti-ship cruise missiles, which the Iranian military has used to target commercial ships passing through the strait.
“Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a social media post. “The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait.”
An Iranian blockade has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off the coast of Iran. The strait is crucial for the movement of goods, including oil, from the Persian Gulf. About 20% of the world’s oil flows through the passage.
The Trump administration is trying to assemble an international coalition to reopen the strait but has struggled to get other nations on board.
The Iranian blockade has dramatically affected global energy markets, which in turn has driven up gas prices in the U.S. and put political pressure on the White House to clearly articulate its end game in Iran.
President Trump said he was disappointed that European allies and others have not immediately signed up to help reopen the passage.
Still, he said he doesn’t need those allies to achieve his objectives.
“We don’t need too much help; we don’t need any help, actually,” Mr. Trump said Tuesday.
