Trump says US strikes hit Iran in 'honour' of American soldiers killed
The United States has launched a series of military strikes against Iranian targets following the deaths of three American soldiers in the region. Iran has retaliated with its own strikes in Syria and Jordan, while tensions escalate over the safety of shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters
The direct military confrontation between the US and Iran threatens to destabilize the Middle East and disrupt global energy supplies.
Image source, US Central Command Image caption, Explosions were heard across several Iranian cities after the US launched strikes overnight
President Donald Trump says the latest strikes by the US hit Iran "very hard", adding that the attacks were "in honour" of three US soldiers killed in recent days - two in Jordan, one in Iraq.
In the early hours of Monday local time, US Central Command (Centcom) said it had launched a "new wave" of strikes for the ninth consecutive night as explosions were heard across Iran.
The US said it had targeted military sites and communications networks to "further diminish" Tehran's attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran said it had responded with a "surprise attack" in Syria and targeted US aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba airport.
Elsewhere in the region, Kuwait's armed forces said they had intercepted Iranian drones.
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