U.S. Strikes Iran for Second Consecutive Day; Trump Claims Direct Contact with Iranian Officials

[Anchor]

The U.S. military has conducted airstrikes against Iran for the second consecutive day. In retaliation, Iran has announced a total closure of the Strait of Hormuz and has begun firing on passing vessels. As tensions between the two nations escalate once again, President Trump has attempted to de-escalate the situation, claiming he has held direct talks with Iranian officials.

Gwak Sang-eun reports.

[Reporter]

As of this morning, June 11 (KST), the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against Iran for the second day in a row.

The U.S. Department of Defense stated that the strikes were a "response to unjust and persistent provocations," adding that key Iranian facilities were the targets.

The strikes occurred five hours after President Trump announced that the U.S. would continue its attacks on Iran for a second consecutive day.

[Donald Trump / President of the United States: We'll see what happens. We hit them hard yesterday. We will hit them hard again today.]

Trump warned that infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges in Iran, could also be targeted.

However, he also noted that he would wait to see the outcome of negotiations, repeatedly pressuring Iran to sign an agreement.

Iran immediately responded by declaring a total closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran emphasized that all vessels, including oil tankers and merchant ships, are prohibited from passing through the strait, warning that "any ship attempting to pass through the strait will be a target for fire."

Local media reports have also emerged claiming that the Iranian military has already opened fire on two vessels attempting to transit the strait.

As concerns grow that the conflict between the two nations has reached its peak following the ceasefire, potentially jeopardizing the peace negotiations, President Trump attempted to calm the situation by claiming he had spoken directly with Iranian officials who requested an end to the airstrikes.

He suggested that the U.S. airstrikes against Iran would soon cease, though he left room for further action by stating that options for additional strikes remain on the table.

However, Iranian state media has denied these claims, stating that there were no talks between Iranian officials and President Trump.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.