The latest U.S. strikes on Iran last night and this morning targeted the regime’s air defense systems, radar sites, missile launchers, drone launchers, and small boats operating near the Strait of Hormuz. The Times of Israel reports that the goal is to further weaken Iran’s defenses, help secure the Strait, and pave the way for more complex military operations that the U.S. could not previously carry out.
Reuters in March reported on US military planning to create options to deploy US troops to Iran’s shoreline to better secure the strait. At the time, officials said the Trump administration had also discussed sending ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports. Such an operation would be risky, since Iran could shower the island with missiles and drones from the mainland.
Trump said on Tuesday he had ordered his military to avoid striking Iran’s oil facilities during previous strikes against Kharg Island. But he has left open the option of taking the island.
“If we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, I would do that,” he told Fox News.
Trump has also threatened to attack a site linked to Iran’s nuclear program known as Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified facility buried deep underground near one of Tehran’s main nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, Iran’s terror proxies have become active again. A Ynet report says that the Houthis fired missiles at airports in Saudi Arabia this week. According to the report, Houthi leaders have also been urged by supporters in Tehran to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, if additional Iranian infrastructure is targeted.
Israel has continued launching strikes against Hamas operatives in Gaza over the past two days as part of the IDF’s campaign to eliminate the approximately 5,000 terrorists involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks. According to the report, roughly 1,500 have been eliminated since then. Another report from The Times of Israel says that Hamas has reached out to its allies in Iran for additional support, including requesting a role in any future talks with the U.S. should negotiations resume after the memorandum of understanding fell apart.
It appears increasingly likely that the U.S. has additional operations planned in Iran. The Fellowship and our supporters continue to pray for the American servicemen and women in the region—for their protection and success in this fight against terror. We also pray for the IDF as it continues its operations against Hamas in Gaza.
