US Launches Ninth Night of Strikes on Iran as Trump Says Attacks Were 'In Honour' of Fallen Troops

The United States carried out a ninth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran early on Monday, targeting military infrastructure as President Donald Trump said the attacks were "very hard" and were conducted "in honour" of three U.S. service members killed in recent days.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it launched a new wave of strikes targeting Iranian military command centres, air defence systems, coastal surveillance sites, missile and drone launch positions, maritime capabilities and communications networks to "further diminish" Tehran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump told reporters the strikes were carried out to honour the U.S. personnel killed in recent attacks.

"We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honour of the, probably three, it's probably three great patriots," Trump said, referring to two U.S. soldiers killed in Jordan and another service member who died in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone.

Iranian state and semi-official media reported explosions in several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini. Iranian media also reported U.S. strikes near Khormoj in the country's southwest.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed two oil tankers "exploded" while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, alleging they were travelling through an "unsafe and hazardous southern route". CENTCOM disputed the claim.

The IRGC warned that the strategic waterway "will not be safe for the transit of petrochemical products, nor even a single drop of oil and gas" as long as U.S. military operations continue, and vowed a "punitive operation" in response.

Iran also said it launched a "surprise attack" targeting U.S. military aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba airport. The IRGC claimed ballistic missiles struck U.S. C-17 transport planes and P-8 aircraft, and said facilities at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq were also targeted. Jordan has not confirmed the claims.

Elsewhere in the region, Kuwait's armed forces said they intercepted Iranian drones, while the U.S. embassy in Bahrain warned American citizens of possible threats in central Manama and urged them to remain vigilant.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would consider negotiations only after securing military gains.

"The end of the war is possible either through absolute military victory or through negotiations. The right time to negotiate is precisely when you have achieved a reliable field and strategic achievement on the military front," Araghchi told the state-run IRNA news agency.

"You cannot take risks with the lives of the people and the fate of the entire country. Decisions must be made based on accurate and complete calculations," he added.

Despite the escalating military exchanges, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to diplomacy.

"The U.S. always remains open to a diplomatic solution," Rubio said, while arguing that the international community must decide "whether or not it's going to allow an international waterway to be under the control" of Iran.

The latest escalation follows the collapse of an interim ceasefire reached in June, with negotiations on a permanent settlement making little progress after Trump declared the agreement "over" earlier this month.

(inputs from BBC and Al Jazeera)