US launches strikes against Iran for third consecutive day; Trump says blockade will resume

U.S. forces launched strikes against Iran on Monday for the third consecutive day, just hours after President Donald Trump ordered the reinstatement of the naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.

The strikes began at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time.

The blockade on Iranian ships attempting to enter or exit the strait would resume on Tuesday.

All other ships are free to transit, Trump said, provided the U.S. is paid 20% of the value of all cargo shipped. The fee will be charged as a “matter of FAIRNESS” in exchange for providing safety and security in this “very volatile section of the World,” Trump said. 

The battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz has escalated hostilities across the region while the U.S. and Iran both claim control of the vital waterway.

On Sunday night, CENTCOM continued its strikes against Iran, seeking to destroy its ability to target ships moving through the strait, which serves as a major shipping lane for one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

U.S. forces struck Iranian air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats using U.S. fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones and one-way attack sea drones, the command said.

On Saturday, U.S. forces hit about 140 Iranian military targets, including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities and communication networks, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command late Saturday.

Tehran responded early Sunday with drone and missile assaults on U.S. allies across the Middle East, including Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar.

An interim peace deal reached last month has repeatedly been tested by attacks. Talks to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, halt Tehran’s nuclear program and reach a permanent end to the war that started Feb. 28 are on hold.