US Central Command said on Tuesday that US forces had begun striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, citing recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members. ^[1] Iran's state broadcaster reported explosions on Qeshm Island, while state-linked Nour News reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and Chabahar, and IRNA reported explosions in Jask and Sirik, following the US strikes. ^[2] President Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday that if Iran retaliated for the US strikes, the US would hit Iran again 'at a much harder and higher level'. ^[3] US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington was likely to announce bank sanctions against Iran this week or next, aiming to 'economically asphyxiate' Iran's leadership, and was also looking at targeting airline leasing companies and other entities doing business with the IRGC. ^[4] The US military strikes on IRGC bases in Iran were a response to recent IRGC attempts to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and US soldiers deployed in the region. ^[5] Iran's state broadcaster also reported four explosions heard from the direction of the Strait of Hormuz in Qeshm. ^[6]