US airstrikes hit Iran amid escalating clash over control of Strait of Hormuz

The US military is carrying out airstrikes in Iran, according to a report Wednesday by Axios citing a US official, amid a weeks-long escalation of hostilities centred on control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The development comes as part of an ongoing US campaign of strikes against Iranian military targets that has stretched for multiple consecutive nights in recent weeks.

US Central Command has repeatedly described the operations as efforts to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping and threaten navigation in the vital waterway.

Tensions have surged over Iran's attempts to assert greater control over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of global oil trade.

Iran has targeted commercial vessels, including US-escorted tankers, prompting US retaliation with airstrikes on Iranian air defenses, missile sites, ports, command centers and infrastructure such as bridges.

President Donald Trump has warned of expanded strikes on Iranian infrastructure if attacks on shipping continue, while both sides have engaged in tit-for-tat actions, including Iranian missile launches toward US positions in the region.

A fragile pause in strikes was reported earlier, but exchanges have continued.

No immediate confirmation or details on the latest strikes were available from US Central Command or the White House in the hours following the Axios report.

Iranian state media has previously reported civilian casualties and damage from US operations, claims the US has denied, saying strikes target military assets. The conflict risks broader regional instability and disruptions to global energy markets.