U.S. Launches Tomahawks; Iran Vows "Total Closure" of Hormuz as Tensions Peak

[Anchor]

The military conflict between the United States and Iran, sparked by the downing of a U.S. military helicopter, is intensifying. The U.S. has launched dozens of missiles toward the Iranian mainland, while Iran has completely blockaded the Strait of Hormuz and launched a series of attacks on U.S. military bases across the Middle East.

Reporter Kim Min-pyo has the story.

[Reporter]

As of this morning, June 11, Korea Standard Time, Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched in succession from U.S. Navy destroyers toward Iran.

President Trump stated that 49 Tomahawk missiles were deployed in this strike, which reportedly hit targets not only around the Strait of Hormuz but also as far as 65 kilometers west of the capital, Tehran.

[Trey Yingst/Fox News Correspondent: President Trump said that if Iran does not sign the agreement, he will bomb them to smithereens tomorrow night.]

The U.S. military claimed the strike was an exercise of self-defense following the downing of an Apache helicopter, while also revealing an intention to pressure Iran into a ceasefire agreement.

[Pete Hegseth/U.S. Secretary of Defense: If we have to negotiate with bombs, we will gladly negotiate with bombs. We are very good at that.]

In response to the U.S. airstrikes, Iran announced that it has completely closed the Strait of Hormuz and attacked two vessels attempting to pass through.

[Iranian State IRIB News Anchor: All types of vessel traffic, including oil tankers and merchant ships, are prohibited, and any ship attempting to pass may become a target.]

Furthermore, Iran claimed to have carried out retaliatory attacks on 18 U.S. military bases across the Middle East, including the U.S. Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain. Specifically, they asserted that 12 ballistic missiles were fired at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, destroying several U.S. fighter jets.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes as illegal, declaring that the ceasefire agreement has become meaningless.

As the conflict between the two sides reaches a breaking point, a U.S. journalist reported hearing that President Trump had even mentioned the option of using nuclear weapons during a meeting.

Analysts suggest that while not a serious consideration, the comment reflects the frustration of President Trump as peace negotiations remain deadlocked.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.