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U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States struck Iran "very hard again" to honor American service members killed in the Middle East, claiming Washington controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
"We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the probably three, as opposed to two, great patriots," Trump said, speaking to reporters after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
The remarks came hours after the U.S. military confirmed another American service member had been killed, bringing the total U.S. death toll in the conflict with Iran to 17.
U.S. Central Command said a U.S. service member was killed and another wounded in northern Iraq while disposing of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian drone, as military personnel also recovered unidentified remains from Friday's attack in Jordan that left two troops dead and another missing.
In Iran, the country's health ministry said U.S. strikes over the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and injured more than 500.
Trump also claimed Washington controls the strategic Strait of Hormuz while Iran has been left with only limited military capabilities, insisting Tehran will never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
"They've lost everything almost militarily. They've got very little left. They've got some missiles, they've got some drones, they've got some manufacturing ability, not much," Trump said. "We're ending any chance where they could have a nuclear missile."
Late Sunday, CENTCOM announced a ninth consecutive night of strikes inside Iran, targeting military command centers, air defense positions, coastal surveillance sites, missile and drone launch facilities, maritime assets and communications networks.
The command said the campaign is intended to further reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
Explosions were reported overnight in multiple Iranian cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Dashti, Jask, Sirik and parts of Khuzestan Province.
Iranian state and semi-official media also reported power outages in Bushehr Province, activation of air defense systems in southern Iran and the downing of a hostile drone.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Monday that it had targeted U.S. military facilities in Kuwait, claiming to have destroyed an early-warning radar system, struck a warehouse storing aircraft equipment and drone parts at Ali Al-Salem Air Base, and set several drones on fire.
The IRGC also claimed it launched ballistic missiles at U.S. C-17 transport aircraft and P-8 command-and-control aircraft at Jordan's Aqaba Airport during the 21st wave of Operation Nasr 2.
It further alleged intelligence from individuals inside Jordan helped carry out the operation and earlier attacks on U.S. positions in the country.
Kuwait said its air defense systems intercepted Iranian drones for a second time early Monday, attributing explosions heard across the country to the interceptions and urging residents to follow official security instructions.
In neighboring Bahrain, warning sirens sounded for the third time as officials instructed residents to move to the nearest safe location.
Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Manama warned American citizens that Iran could target locations in the Bahraini capital and urged them to remain vigilant and follow guidance issued by local authorities.
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