The United States apparently decided that one day of blowing up Iranian military assets just was not enough, so they went ahead and did it again on Wednesday. U.S. forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian targets along the Strait of Hormuz, marking the second consecutive day of American military action against Tehran, as Trending Politics News reported.
The strikes targeted Iranian coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile positions, and air defense systems that were supporting military operations near the Strait of Hormuz. According to a U.S. official, Wednesday's operation was broader than previous ones, which is the Pentagon's polite way of saying they turned the dial up a few notches.
For those of you who slept through geography class, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important shipping lanes on the planet. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes through it on any given day. So when Iran allegedly starts messing with commercial vessels sailing through there, the response tends to be rather enthusiastic.
President Donald Trump apparently telegraphed the escalation earlier on Wednesday while attending NATO's annual summit, because nothing says "allied cooperation" like casually mentioning you are about to launch a second wave of strikes on a sovereign nation.
U.S. Central Command released a statement that was about as diplomatic as a statement can be when you are actively blowing things up: "At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
CENTCOM continued: "The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway."
So to summarize the current situation: Iran allegedly attacks commercial ships in international waters, the U.S. responds by systematically dismantling their coastal military infrastructure, and Iran gets to find out what happens when you mess with the busiest shipping lane this side of the Suez Canal.
This is a developing story, which in modern military terms means there could very well be a Round Three by the time you finish reading this paragraph. The pattern here seems pretty clear: the U.S. is methodically taking apart Iran's ability to project military force along the strait, one radar installation and missile battery at a time.
Whether this leads to some kind of diplomatic resolution or just more fireworks remains to be seen. But if you are an Iranian coastal radar operator right now, updating your resume might not be the worst idea.
Read more breaking news stories at: Trending Politics News
The strikes targeted Iranian coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile positions, and air defense systems that were supporting military operations near the Strait of Hormuz. According to a U.S. official, Wednesday's operation was broader than previous ones, which is the Pentagon's polite way of saying they turned the dial up a few notches.
For those of you who slept through geography class, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important shipping lanes on the planet. Roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes through it on any given day. So when Iran allegedly starts messing with commercial vessels sailing through there, the response tends to be rather enthusiastic.
President Donald Trump apparently telegraphed the escalation earlier on Wednesday while attending NATO's annual summit, because nothing says "allied cooperation" like casually mentioning you are about to launch a second wave of strikes on a sovereign nation.
U.S. Central Command released a statement that was about as diplomatic as a statement can be when you are actively blowing things up: "At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
CENTCOM continued: "The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway."
So to summarize the current situation: Iran allegedly attacks commercial ships in international waters, the U.S. responds by systematically dismantling their coastal military infrastructure, and Iran gets to find out what happens when you mess with the busiest shipping lane this side of the Suez Canal.
This is a developing story, which in modern military terms means there could very well be a Round Three by the time you finish reading this paragraph. The pattern here seems pretty clear: the U.S. is methodically taking apart Iran's ability to project military force along the strait, one radar installation and missile battery at a time.
Whether this leads to some kind of diplomatic resolution or just more fireworks remains to be seen. But if you are an Iranian coastal radar operator right now, updating your resume might not be the worst idea.
Read more breaking news stories at: Trending Politics News
