WASHINGTON: The United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting sites near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas as the US-Iran conflict intensified, while Tehran threatened to disrupt regional energy exports in response.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation began at 6am EST (3pm Pakistan time) and targeted military capabilities that Iran allegedly used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM later said US fighter jets, drones and naval vessels carried out a seven-hour operation, striking dozens of Iranian missile, drone, naval and coastal defence sites to reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.

The latest strikes came after Washington reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports, further escalating tensions across the Gulf.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that it could block energy exports across the region if the blockade continued.

“The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one,” the IRGC said in a statement, adding that it would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until what it described as “the end of America’s evils.”

Iranian officials also signalled the possibility of disrupting other strategic shipping routes, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key gateway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that US strikes on an army base in Bampur killed at least seven military personnel and wounded several others after missiles struck accommodation buildings and guard posts.

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said more than 30 civilians had died in recent attacks in southern Iran, although she did not specify the locations.

Iranian officials also reported US strikes on Bushehr, Khuzestan and Chabahar Port. Authorities said projectiles damaged the maritime traffic control centre at Chabahar Port, a civilian facility that supports maritime safety and search-and-rescue operations. Officials reported no casualties at the site.

Iran’s Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said the latest attacks injured more than 260 people. He added that medical teams discharged 222 patients after treatment, while at least two people died in the strikes.

Meanwhile, Bahrain said its air defences intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones targeting civilian areas, describing the attacks as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

Jordan’s armed forces also said air defence systems intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles that entered the country’s airspace from Iran. Officials reported no casualties or property damage.

The IRGC claimed responsibility for attacks targeting facilities linked to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, a logistics site in Kuwait and a US military base in Jordan. Authorities in the affected countries have not confirmed those claims.

At the United Nations Security Council, US Ambassador Mike Waltz accused China of failing to prevent the transfer of dual-use goods and satellite imagery to Iran and Yemen’s Houthi movement.

Chinese Ambassador Sun Lei rejected the accusation as “completely baseless” and urged Washington to stop creating new conflicts in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran refused to resume negotiations.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

The latest escalation pushed oil prices higher for a second consecutive day as concerns over supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continued to grow.