Iran Hits U.S. Command Center; Eighth Tanker Struck in Hormuz

CENTCOM made no mention of civilian infrastructure. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that the U.S. military would be ramping up its attacks through the week and would include civilian targets. "Next week comes the bridges," he said.

The war began in late February. The Trump administration sought to dismantle Iran's nuclear program and encourage regime change. The latest chapter centers on the Strait of Hormuz.

The Trump administration is seeking to restore freedom of navigation through the chokepoint. Iran is fighting to maintain the leverage afforded by its ability to restrict passage.

Early Friday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker had been struck by an unknown projectile, causing minor damage to its port side. "All crew are safe and accounted for," it said.

The strike is at least the eighth attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz in a little over a week.

The attack on the U.S. command center in Syria is the first direct Iranian strike on U.S. forces there since the conflict began. The U.S. strikes on bridges around Bandar Abbas, a key port near the Strait, appear designed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping. The string of attacks on commercial vessels has raised the risk premium for oil and shipping, traders said, though the full impact on flows remains unclear.