Explosions rocked Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas and nearby coastal regions close to the Strait of Hormuz earlier today after IRGC allegedly launched an attack on a vessel at sea. Al Jazeera journalist Ali Hashem reported that Iranian forces had allegedly targeted a vessel at sea, triggering a swift American response. Fox News reported an attack on American aircraft deployed in the region. As confusion spread over the explosions, the U.S. military confirmed it had carried out strikes in southern Iran. According to U.S. Central Command, the operation targeted boats allegedly attempting to lay naval mines, along with missile launch sites. Washington described the strikes as “defensive actions.” In an official statement, CENTCOM said the strikes were conducted “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”