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The United States launched strikes on targets of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inside Iran at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), following attempts to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. personnel in the region. CENTCOM has not disclosed the number and locations of the targets hit, nor the munitions used. President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that the strikes were large and powerful, and were retaliation against Iran after it attempted to lay naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz and fired missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan. He warned that if Iran retaliates, the U.S. will escalate with heavier and more severe strikes. Later, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that the Iranian military has begun decisive operations, and that U.S. bases and interests across the region will be targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. The situation makes a prolonged war more likely and could create political pressure ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump's approval rating at 33%, and only 36% of Americans approve of war with Iran. The strikes mark a new escalation in the conflict, after the U.S. and Iran resumed tit-for-tat attacks over the weekend for the first time in about a month. On Sunday, U.S. forces struck a rocket launch site on Iran's Larak Island, and Iran responded by firing missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan, but they were intercepted. The United Arab Emirates also said it intercepted Iranian drones over its waters. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important energy transit route; before the war, about one-fifth of global oil supply passed through it, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The escalation increases risks to shipping and energy transport through the Strait, which could create volatility in global oil markets.