Trump tells Congress US military action against Iran has resumed

US President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress that military action against Iran resumed last week marking the end of a monthslong ceasefire CBS News reported citing a letter According to CBS News in a letter dated July 10 and addressed to Senate President pro tempore Senator Chuck Grassley Trump said military action against Iran commenced on July 7The notification came after Trump declared the USIran ceasefire over and ordered multiple rounds of strikes on Iranian targets in response to Tehrans attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz Iran has maintained that ships must obtain permission and use an Iranianapproved route before transiting the strategic waterway and responded to the US strikes by launching missiles and drones at USallied Gulf states CBS News reportedIn the letter Trump described the latest military operation as limited measured planned and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties He said the objective of the strikes was to target Iranian military sites that pose a threat to US forces and commercial shippingAs reported by CBS News the notification was submitted in accordance with the War Powers Resolution of 1973 which requires the US President to notify Congress within 48 hours of the commencement of military hostilitiesThe report noted that the Trump administration had earlier informed Congress that hostilities had ended after the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in early April following the conflict that began in late FebruaryAccording to the letter cited by CBS News Trump said the United States had undertaken productive goodfaith efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Irans malign behaviour culminating in a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries last monthHowever he said Iran violated the agreement after attacking three oil tankers early last week breaching a provision requiring Tehran to ensure the safe transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz prompting renewed US military actionUnited States Armed Forces remain postured to take further action as necessary and appropriate to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners and to ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States and to our allies and partners the letter said as quoted by CBS NewsThis development comes after US President Donald Trump announced that American forces will reimpose a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz targeting Iran while allowing vessels from other nations to continue transiting through the strategic waterwaySpeaking to reporters after signing an Executive Order Trump said the blockade would apply only to Iran and those doing business with TehranWere hitting them Iran very heavy tonight We have tremendous amounts of ammunition Were hitting them very hard and itll continue and well see what happens Were knocking out all of their offensive capability and were controlling the strait Strait of Hormuz Were putting the blockade back Its a blockade not for anybody but Iran In other words anybody doing business with Iran cant go through Everyone else will be able to go through The blockade is probably more effective even than hitting them But I think the combination is the thing that really does it Trump saidThe US President claimed that American military operations have significantly degraded Irans military capabilities including its navy air force missile and drone production The US President further said military operations against Iran would continueWere doing another very major attack tonight on Iran They want to make a deal They came back We made a deal two days ago Theyve been negotiating for 47 years but nobodys ever hit them militarily Were hitting them very hard Trump saidThe latest development follows renewed hostilities between the US and Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC closed the Strait of Hormuz which triggered American retaliatory strikes on 140 locations across IranMeanwhile initiating a fresh wave of military operations US Central Command CENTCOM began its third consecutive night of strikes against Iran at the direction of the CommanderinChiefIn a post on X CENTCOM stated that these strikes aim to impose a high cost on Iranian forces and degrade their capability to target civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of HormuzConcurrently the United States announced that it will resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports starting Tuesday eveningEarlier on Sunday President Trump stated that the United States is reinstating the Iranian blockade and announced that the US will charge a 20 per cent fee to provide security in the strategic shipping gateway In his social media posts Trump assured that international maritime traffic through the critical shipping lane would remain open to the rest of the world despite escalating regional tensionsTrump defended the 20 per cent levy on transiting cargo claiming it is a necessary measure to cover the operational expenses of securing the volatile shipping laneIn response Iran issued a stern warning against the US deployment reaffirming its authority over the Strait of Hormuz and dismissing Washingtons intervention in its managementAccording to Press TV Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari the spokesperson for the Khatam alAnbiya Central Headquarters affirmed that Tehran will not under any circumstances allow the US to interfere in the management of the Strait of HormuzHe further vowed strong retaliation against any US military action involving the passage of commercial vessels and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz that takes place outside Irans designated shipping route and without authorisation from Irans armed forcesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text 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