US carries out third night of strikes on Iran as naval blockade of Iranian ports takes effect

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had concluded a third consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran, hitting targets in Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa and Bandar Abbas. Iranian media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas and on the islands of Kish, Qeshm and Abu Musa.

CENTCOM also said its naval blockade of ships travelling to and from Iranian ports resumed at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. The move follows the collapse of last month's ceasefire and centres on control of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes. For Iran's markets, the significance lies in the direct pressure on the country's oil exports and on global energy prices.