WASHINGTON, D.C., July 14 (ANI) — U.S. President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress that the United States has resumed military operations against Iran, officially ending a months-long ceasefire and signaling a significant escalation in tensions across the Middle East.
In a letter dated July 10 to Senate President pro tempore Sen. Chuck Grassley, President Trump stated that renewed military action commenced on July 7, following what the administration described as repeated Iranian violations of a ceasefire agreement reached last month.
The notification, submitted under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, fulfills the legal requirement that the President inform Congress within 48 hours of initiating military hostilities. The administration described the operation as “limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties.”
Trump said the strikes were directed at Iranian military installations that threaten U.S. personnel, allied forces, and commercial shipping in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Ceasefire Collapses
According to the letter, the United States had pursued “productive, good-faith efforts” to reach a diplomatic solution with Tehran, culminating in a memorandum of understanding signed last month.
However, the administration said Iran violated the agreement after allegedly attacking three oil tankers early last week, breaching commitments to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The reported attacks prompted Washington to declare the ceasefire over and launch a fresh round of military operations.
Trump warned Congress that U.S. forces remain prepared for additional action if necessary.
“United States Armed Forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners,” the President wrote.
U.S. Reimposes Naval Blockade
In a parallel escalation, the United States formally reinstated its naval blockade against Iranian maritime traffic beginning Tuesday evening.
The blockade targets vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas, while allowing ships from other nations to continue transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking after signing an executive order, Trump said the blockade is aimed solely at Iran and those conducting business with Tehran.
“It’s a blockade, not for anybody but Iran. Anybody doing business with Iran can’t go through. Everyone else will be able to go through,” Trump said.
The President argued that the blockade could prove even more effective than direct military strikes in limiting Iran’s military and economic capabilities.
CENTCOM Launches Additional Strikes
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Tuesday that American forces resumed the blockade at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, while simultaneously launching another round of air and missile strikes against Iranian military targets.
According to CENTCOM, the latest operations are intended to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The command said more than 20 U.S. Navy warships and hundreds of military aircraft are currently deployed throughout the Middle East to support ongoing operations.
Earlier Tuesday, CENTCOM announced that American forces had completed a five-hour campaign targeting military infrastructure along Iran’s southern coastline.
The operation reportedly struck facilities in:
- Bushehr
- Chah Bahar
- Jask
- Konarak
- Abu Musa
- Bandar Abbas
According to CENTCOM, precision-guided munitions were used against coastal defense systems, missile launch sites, drone facilities, and naval assets.
Military officials did not disclose whether additional strikes launched later Tuesday targeted the same locations or different objectives.
Trump: Iran’s Military Capability Severely Degraded
President Trump claimed recent U.S. operations have significantly weakened Iran’s military.
“We’re hitting them very hard,” Trump said.
He asserted that American strikes have substantially degraded Iran’s:
- Navy
- Air force
- Missile production
- Drone manufacturing capabilities
Trump also indicated that military operations would continue despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.
“They want to make a deal,” he said, while adding that previous negotiations had failed to prevent Iranian attacks.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Central Flashpoint
The latest conflict centers on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints through which a significant portion of global oil exports passes.
The Trump administration accuses Iran of threatening international shipping by requiring commercial vessels to obtain Iranian authorization before transiting the waterway and by attacking merchant vessels.
Washington has also announced a 20 percent security fee on cargo transiting the Strait under U.S. protection, arguing that the levy is necessary to offset the cost of safeguarding international shipping.
Trump emphasized that commercial traffic for countries other than Iran would remain open despite the renewed blockade.
Iran Rejects U.S. Actions
Iran has strongly condemned the renewed U.S. military campaign and naval blockade.
According to Iranian state media, Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, declared that Tehran would not permit the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
He warned that Iran would respond forcefully to any U.S. military actions involving commercial vessels that travel outside Iranian-designated shipping routes or without authorization from Iranian armed forces.
Iranian Retaliation Expands Conflict
Following recent U.S. strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly launched the third phase of Operation Nasr 2, targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The reciprocal attacks mark another significant escalation, expanding the confrontation beyond strikes inside Iran to direct attacks on American military assets across the Persian Gulf.
The renewed exchange of military operations underscores the growing risk of a wider regional conflict involving U.S. forces, Iran, and America’s Gulf allies, while raising fresh concerns over global energy security and the uninterrupted flow of commercial shipping through one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. (ANI)
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