US carries out fresh attacks in Iran as war drags on for sixth night

The United States has carried out a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, with both countries intensifying their confrontation over control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said the latest strikes were aimed at "further degrade Iranian military capabilities". It also confirmed that US forces boarded a vessel as part of its blockade of the strait.

Iranian state media reported that US missiles struck areas near Qeshm Island, close to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Bandar Abbas and Bushehr, home to one of Iran's nuclear power plants.

In what appears to be a further escalation, Iranian media also said two bridges in Hormozgan province were hit. The BBC has independently verified an attack on one bridge west of Bandar Abbas.

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US blockade continues

Centcom also said US Marines boarded an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman as part of the renewed blockade of Iranian ports, which began on Tuesday night.

The command added that it had "redirected 3 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade".

According to Centcom, US forces disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140 vessels during its previous blockade of Iranian ports between April 13 and June 18.

'Trump open to diplomacy'

Despite the escalating military exchanges, the White House said President Trump remained willing to pursue diplomacy.

"The president will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States. But he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt said Iran had indicated it still wanted to negotiate with Washington, adding: "We're talking to them, but again, the president is not going to allow them to fire on ships in the strait without paying a consequence for that."

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route off Iran's southern coast, remains closed after Tehran effectively blocked the waterway following US-Israeli strikes.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, rejected the prospect of accepting any deal that did not serve Tehran's interests.

He told state media that Iran had "no reason" to abide by any agreement that did not benefit the country.

Ghalibaf added that Iran's national security depended on maintaining what he described as "Iranian arrangements" in the Strait of Hormuz.