[Anchor]
After Iran declared yesterday (July 12) that it would close the Strait of Hormuz again, it announced that it had been subjected to further attacks by the United States. While President Trump claimed that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, a resolution to the conflict seems further away than ever.
Jeon Byeong-nam reports from Washington.
[Reporter]
Iranian authorities claimed that the U.S. military fired more than 10 missiles at Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
While no casualties have been reported, the semi-official Fars News Agency stated that "explosions were also detected in Bandar Abbas, a strategic hub in southern Iran."
In this regard, the U.S. online media outlet Axios also reported that "the U.S. military launched new airstrikes on Iranian missiles and air defense systems, and struck speedboats of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps around the Strait of Hormuz."
This latest strike, which continued for a second day, marks the fourth attack carried out by the U.S. since Iran attacked civilian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on July 7.
President Trump stated that he had carried out a "very powerful strike" on Iran, and asserted that, contrary to Iran's declaration of a blockade, the Strait of Hormuz remains open.
[Donald Trump / U.S. President (CNN Interview) : We hit them very hard yesterday. We had to deal with Iran yesterday. They are not sane.]
The U.S. Central Command also claimed that "Iran is not in control of the strait, and shipping traffic continues."
On the other hand, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, established by Iran to manage Hormuz, countered by stating that "transit through the Strait of Hormuz is impossible due to the illegal movements of the U.S. military."
Furthermore, a military advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader declared that "Hormuz is more important than dozens of atomic bombs," making it clear that Iran has no intention of relinquishing control over passage through the strait.
As the U.S. and Iran continue to exchange airstrikes with no clear solution in sight regarding control of the Hormuz, forecasts suggest that tensions will only continue to escalate.
(Video coverage: Park Eun-ha, Video editing: Kim Jong-mi)
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