US Strikes Iran Targets IRGC as Regional Conflict Escalates

The United States military launched fresh strikes against Iran on Tuesday. This marks the second wave of attacks in just three days as fighting between the two nations reignites. Central Command, which operates out of the Middle East, confirmed it hit targets belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC.

"These strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region," CENTCOM stated. Iran has responded with force before when faced with similar US aggression. That history means these new hits risk starting another round of deadly conflict. Explosions were reported across southern Iran, including in Konarak, Bandar Abbas, and Qeshm Island, according to Tasnim, a semi-official Iranian news agency.

The US State Department warned Americans traveling near the region to stay alert and prepare for travel disruptions on Tuesday. Officials spoke of "the potential for unforeseen escalation." The Bureau of Consular Affairs issued a clear statement urging travelers to monitor airport and airline operations closely. They noted that Iran and groups backing Tehran might target US interests overseas or locations linked to America anywhere in the world, including businesses and other institutions.

This clash follows an exchange of fire on Sunday. On that day, the US military struck Larak Island in southern Iran. Tehran retaliated by firing missiles at a base housing American troops in Jordan. President Donald Trump had vowed to hit Iran "hard" after those clashes. This is the first direct attacks from both sides since July. The Trump administration previously said it was moving away from military strikes toward intense economic pressure on Iran.

The US has imposed a naval siege on Iranian ports while threatening Tehran's trade partners with secondary sanctions. Yet Iran keeps asserting control over Hormuz, a major artery for global energy trade. Recently, President Trump and his aides claimed the US is getting millions of barrels of oil through the strait daily despite the Iranian blockade. Attacks on ships around the area have been reported almost every day since then.

On Monday, UK Maritime Trade Operations said an oil tanker was hit by three "unknown projectiles" while moving through Hormuz. The crisis has sent energy prices soaring. The price of a barrel of oil jumped by more than four percent after the Tuesday strikes. In the US, the average cost of one gallon of petrol is now over $4. That is up from less than $3 before the war started.