NEW DELHI: The United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran, targeting assets it said threatened freedom of navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Donald Trump declared that an interim agreement aimed at ending the conflict was "over."

The latest strikes came in response to attack on three cargo ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint. The US military said the operation was intended to further weaken Iran's ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the region.

"US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," the US military's Middle East command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.

President Trump defended the action in a post on Truth Social, warning Tehran against further attacks. "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" Trump wrote. The strikes reportedly rattled several cities along Iran's southern coast, with local reports indicating power outages in some areas.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supplies passed before the conflict erupted on February 28, remains one of the world's most strategically important waterways. The war began following US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, and control over the narrow passage has provided Tehran with significant strategic leverage. Although Iran has not claimed responsibility for the attacks on the cargo ships, analysts say such actions are consistent with its strategy of using maritime pressure to strengthen its negotiating position.

The renewed military escalation has further undermined hopes of converting a June 17 memorandum of understanding into a lasting agreement to end the conflict.

Iran said on Wednesday that it had launched attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for earlier American strikes on Iranian infrastructure, which Washington said were carried out in response to the attacks on commercial shipping.

The exchange of strikes marks another sharp escalation in the conflict, raising concerns over regional stability and the security of global energy supplies. Diplomatic efforts to revive the collapsed interim agreement now appear increasingly uncertain as both sides continue to trade military blows.