The U.S. military has launched a significant aerial operation, deploying multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator bombs on fortified missile sites along Iran’s coast near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

This substantial strike is part of an ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, as President Trump intensifies focus on the crucial waterway that links the Persian Gulf to the broader global economy.

In an announcement made late Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command confirmed the successful use of these heavy munitions against Iranian missile installations located along the coastal region of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the statement, these Iranian anti-ship cruise missile sites were deemed a threat to international maritime traffic within the strait.

The bombs used in this mission were the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrators, which the U.S. first deployed in 2021, as reported by CNN.

This recent military action underscores ongoing efforts to safeguard global commercial shipping routes that pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The US announced the bombings hours after Trump turned on the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Australia for rejecting his plea for help securing the waterway.

About 20 percent of the global oil supply flows through the waterway on a typical day, but it has been effectively closed by Iran since the US began bombarding Iran. 

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday said the strait was ‘open, but closed to our enemies’. 

The United States military fired multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator bombs on hardened missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz

The massive attack came as the US conflict with Iran continues unabated and President Trump zeroes in on the narrow strait that connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the global economy

The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday that the country could join an international effort led by the US to ensure the safety and security of the waterway. 

Trump said he had been told America’s allies ‘don’t want to get involved’ in the Iran war, despite his appeals for help securing the strait as oil prices spiral. 

‘We no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO countries’ assistance – we never did,’ the President wrote on Truth Social. 

As for whether he would retaliate against NATO allies for holding back, Trump said he had ‘nothing currently in mind.’ He has threatened to withdraw from NATO in the past. 

Gas prices have surged to an average of $3.80 a gallon from $2.90 before the conflict began three weeks ago, while the strait remains blockaded by Iranian mines and missiles. 

The Islamic Republic has vowed to block the region’s oil exports, saying it would not allow ‘even a single liter’ to be shipped to its enemies. 

While there are pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that can avoid the passage, the US Energy Information Administration says ‘most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region.’

The US announced the bombings hours after Donald Trump turned on America’s allies after they rejected his plea for help to secure the vital waterway. The United Kingdom, France , Japan and Australia all declined to help protect shipping in the strait

Pictured: Scenes from the weekend US military attack on Iran’s Kharg Island

Threats to the route have caused global energy prices to spike before, like in June during the Israel-Iran war. 

As the Strait of Hormuz remains at a standstill, a group representing many of the world’s wealthiest countries said it will release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history. 

The International Energy Agency said it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members’ emergency reserves, which is more than double the 182.7 million barrels that the IEA’s 32 member countries released in 2022 in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

But while such moves can replenish some of the oil supplies blocked in the Persian Gulf, they do so only for the short term. For a longer-term fix, analysts say the Strait of Hormuz needs to clear.

The White House is also looking into waiving Jones Act requirements. The 1920s law is often blamed for making gas more expensive. 

It requires goods shipped between US ports to be moved on US-flagged vessels, and is designed to protect the American shipbuilding sector.

Despite the success touted by the administration, the US Navy remains unable to guarantee safe passage for commercial oil tankers through the Strait.

The US military has moved additional forces to the region, including the USS Tripoli and its 2,000-strong Marine Expeditionary Unit capable of seizing Iranian ports.

Trump was forced to defend the war effort again after his own top counterterrorism official, Joe Kent (pictured), resigned in protest, accusing Israel of pressuring the US into a conflict he says was built on lies

‘One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE!’ President Donald Trump said in a posting on his social media network Saturday. 

The deployment has led some to believe Trump will soon launch a limited ground offensive against the Islamic Regime to alleviate the global oil crisis. 

The President has suggested that the fighting could end soon, while also warning that the US is prepared for a long-term offensive.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed every one of the US’ embassies and diplomatic posts on high alert worldwide.

The directive orders every diplomatic mission to convene Emergency Action Committees – specialized teams tasked with identifying threats, coordinating responses, and preparing for worst-case scenarios. 

Trump was forced to defend the war effort again after his own top counterterrorism official has resigned in protest, accusing Israel of pressuring the US into a conflict he says was built on lies.

Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said Iran posed no imminent threat and the war was started ‘due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,’ adding: ‘I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war.’

Kent, who served under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, accused the President of reneging on the non-interventionist principles he campaigned on.

‘Until June of 2025, you understood that the wars in the Middle East were a trap that robbed America of the precious lives of our patriots and depleted the wealth and prosperity of our nation,’ the former Army Special Forces soldier wrote in his resignation letter.

‘The time for bold action is now. You can reverse course and chart a new path for our nation, or you can allow us to slip further toward decline and chaos. You hold the cards.’ 

Trump dismissed it, calling it a ‘good thing that [Kent’s] out,’ adding he was ‘very weak on security.’