The US Central Command described the new wave of attacks as self-defense against unwarranted aggression

The US carried out strikes in Iran for the second consecutive day on Thursday as President Donald Trump sought to pressure Tehran into accepting his peace terms.

Explosions and impacts were reported across southern and central Iran hours after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said US Central Command "will be busy tonight."

"Because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard - and we will be," Hegseth told reporters.

The Pentagon chief said the strikes would target "key facilities" in Iran and added that Tehran "has an opportunity to make a deal" with Washington.

Hegseth also claimed that the US controls the Strait of Hormuz and, without providing evidence, said Washington has been "able to bring oil in and out" of the strategic waterway for "weeks and weeks."

The remarks came after the US said on Wednesday that it had launched strikes in Iran in response to what it described as the downing of an American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

US Central Command said Trump had ordered "self-defense strikes... in response to yesterday's downing of a US Army Apache helicopter."

Iranian broadcaster Press TV reported that several projectiles struck the strategic island of Qeshm near the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz, which hosts a military base and a key oil terminal. Strikes were also reported in other parts of Iran's southern Hormozgan Province.

Iran later conducted retaliatory missile strikes on American-linked military sites in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait.

RT will be providing live updates on the developments.

(RT.com)