US says it hit more than 80 targets in new round of retaliatory strikes against Iran

The US military said late Tuesday that it completed a new round of retaliatory strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets in response to Tehran's latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out offensive strikes targeting Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 small boats belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in and around the strategic waterway.

The strikes were conducted "as an immediate response to Iran's latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz," the statement said.

According to CENTCOM, the operation was aimed at degrading "Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor."

Iranian state media reported that explosions were reported early Wednesday in several areas of southern Iran.