The US intensified its campaign against Iran following the deaths of the first wave of American service members even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted Washington remained open to a diplomatic resolution.
The renewed offensive entered its ninth consecutive night as Iranian media reported explosions along the country’s southern coastline and, for the first time during the latest campaign, in the north-western city of Tabriz, suggesting the geographical scope of the strikes is expanding.
US President Donald Trump said the latest attacks were carried out in honour of “probably three great patriots” killed in the war, calling them soldiers who had fought to ensure that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
“We hit them very hard again tonight,” Trump told reporters after returning to Washington following the World Cup final.
CENTCOM later confirmed it had completed its ninth consecutive night of operations, targeting Iranian military command centres, air defence and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks.
The military said the strikes were intended to further reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the escalation, Rubio reiterated that Washington remained committed to pursuing diplomacy, maintaining the administration’s position that military pressure and negotiations could proceed simultaneously.
The expanding conflict continues to rattle global energy markets as Brent crude rose by more than 3% on Monday, surging past $90 per barrel for the first time since June 11, as attacks on shipping and uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz intensified.
Tehran’s rhetoric has turned even more aggressive with a series of statements issued by the country’s powerful theocratic guard, the IRGC.
According to Iranian state media, fresh missile launches from Lorestan province were carried out towards supposed “enemy targets”, while the IRGC claimed it had carried out a surprise strike on the US base at al-Tanf in Syria in retaliation for American attacks that it said killed Iranian conscript soldiers near Iranshahr.
CENTCOM has previously denied an earlier Iranian claim that the base had been attacked.
In another statement, the IRGC claimed that two oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz exploded after using what it described as an unsafe route under US pressure.
The force warned that the strategic waterway would remain unsafe “for even a single drop of oil and gas” as long as US military operations continued, and threatened further “punitive” action against American forces.
The IRGC also claimed that intelligence provided by Jordanians had enabled attacks on US military facilities at al-Azraq and Aqaba, though these claims could not be independently verified.
The military campaign has led to increasing speculation in Washington that the strikes are merely intended to pave the way for a broader phase of the conflict should diplomacy ultimately fail, though public messaging from both Washington and Tehran suggests a more complex strategy at play.
Rubio’s comments echoed earlier remarks made by Vice President JD Vance, who argued that military pressure and diplomatic engagement should advance together.
Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf similarly described military action and negotiations as complementary tools for defending the country’s national interests.
The parallel rhetoric suggests both governments may be seeking to strengthen their negotiating positions ahead of any future talks rather than abandoning diplomacy altogether, even as military operations continue to expand.
Whether that approach succeeds may depend not only on developments on the battlefield but also on mounting economic costs from the conflict.
