The Japan Times - US strikes Iran for third night as Trump says deal still 'possible'

"We're going to hit them very hard tonight, and we're going to hit them hard tomorrow," Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Monday.

Shortly after, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced strikes had begun at 2045 GMT, the third consecutive night of attacks.

"These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz", CENTCOM said.

Trump formally notified Congress last week that the US had resumed military conflict against Iran, the White House confirmed to AFP, giving the Pentagon an additional 60 days to operate in the region without congressional approval.

The US military said it had hit dozens of targets early Monday, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced new strikes on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Oman.

Trump also threatened to destroy Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried nuclear site near Natanz where Western intelligence suspects Iran is building an undeclared enrichment facility.

"Tell the Iranians to be ready. Let them know we're coming... there's not a damn thing they can do about it," he told Hewitt.

- 'Guardian of the Hormuz' -

CENTCOM, following Trump's orders, announced it would reimpose a blockade on Iranian ports beginning at 2000 GMT on Tuesday. Oil prices shot up more than nine percent over fears of renewed conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared the United States would be "known as 'THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT'" and levy a 20 percent fee on all cargo shipped through the waterway.

While Iran's ports would again be blockaded, Trump said "all other countries will have fair and open use of the strait".

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi immediately mocked Trump's toll threat, writing on X that "POTUS is absolutely right" that whoever guarantees safe passage should be compensated -- but that Tehran would charge less.

"20% is of course too much," he said.

Washington has vehemently opposed Tehran's desire to charge tolls in the strait, which international law generally forbids.

- 'In crisis' -

Despite all signs to the contrary, Trump said Monday that a deal with Tehran to end the Middle East war was still possible.

"Yeah, I think a deal is possible. Sure, I do," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We had a deal with them two days ago and then they said 'Oh we can't make that deal. We have to negotiate it further.'"

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said earlier Monday that the June memorandum of understanding that formed the basis for the negotiations and lifted the US blockade was "in crisis".

The previous blockade, in place from April to June, cut off Iranian oil exports and threatened a damaging shutdown of the industry.

Baqaei said Iran would ignore its obligations under the deal if the United States did the same, but added that Tehran was continuing talks with mediators from Qatar, Pakistan and Oman to prevent further escalation.

But analyst Bader Al-Saif said the escalating attacks would merely delay a permanent agreement.

"Both sides want to end the impasse on their own terms, and they are increasingly finding it difficult to do so. Hence the return to and increase in the scale of attacks," said Al-Saif, an associate fellow at Chatham House.

- 'Act of war' -

Iranian state media reported deaths in the latest US strikes, which it said targeted large areas across the south and west.

At least four explosions were heard Monday east of Bandar Abbas, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported, citing a reporter in the port city's province.

At least 25 people have been killed in Iran since hostilities resumed on Wednesday, according to an AFP tally based on Iranian announcements.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed "deep concern" at the regional escalation, including attacks by both sides.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had struck US military targets and bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait, state media reported.

Air raid alerts sounded in Bahrain, where the military said it shot down a number of Iranian projectiles, while Kuwait's army said its forces were intercepting "hostile aerial targets".

Jordan's army said it had intercepted four Iranian missiles.

Iran insists it only targets US interests in the Gulf, but the spokesman for its military command said any collaboration by Gulf countries with the United States would be considered "an act of war".

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T.Ikeda--JT