The United States launched a third straight day of strikes against Iran Monday, as the U.S. and Iran sparred over the Strait of Hormuz, and President Trump sought to up pressure in the waterway with the resumption of a blockade and new payments.U.S. Central Command said the strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran claimed to target US bases in the region, and the UAE announced two national tankers were targeted by Iranian cruise missiles in the strait. Those strikes killed one crew member and injured others.We're attacking them tonight, and we're taking out all of their capability for anything having to do with the strait, with the Hormuz strait, and I think in the end we will end up just controlling the whole thing, President Trump said.The U.S. military says its hit hundreds of targets over the past week to degrade Irans ability to attack commercial shipping, while Iran has fired at Gulf nations the past several days.We had a deal yesterday, or the day before yesterday, was all done, and then they broke up that deal immediately because they found out there was something in the deal they didn't like, and they're wired differently, Trump said.MORE ON THE NEW STRIKES | US strikes targets in Iran for third straight day as blockade resumesTrump submitted a notification to Congress Monday on the defensive strikes starting July 7th, under the War Powers Resolution.The letter, obtained by Scripps News, cited Irans attacks against commercial vessels.United States ground forces are not involved in these strikes. These strikes are limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties. They are focused on military capabilities posing a threat to the United States Armed Forces in the region, protecting the United States homeland, advancing United States national interests, securing safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, and defending our regional allies and partners, it stated.Trump also suggested to radio host Hugh Hewitt that the U.S. could target Irans Pickaxe Mountain, a site near Natanz, an enrichment facility the US targeted in strikes last year.We have a lot of eyes on it, but Pickaxe is a possible, you know, a possible target for a nice big fat shot right near the front door, and I think that you'll maybe you'll see that, Trump told the radio host, though he noted they see no activity there.U.S. Central Command also said it would resume its blockade against Iranian ports and coastal areas Tuesday at 4pm eastern.RELATED STORY | Trump reinstates Iranian blockade, says Strait of Hormuz will stay openI just see it as an ongoing negotiation if you will, said Michael OHanlon, the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy at the Brookings Institution.If he wants to hit them where they seem to be most vulnerable its the pocketbook, OHanlon said. I think Trump is correctly recognizing that the economic pressure is the greater pressure.Meanwhile, President Trump said the U.S. would also seek reimbursement for providing security to other nations in the straight, citing Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain as examples.I want to be reimbursed because we're protecting a very rich portion of the world. We're spending money, and so what we've done is we are going to be reimbursed for protection, Trump said.It comes as the U.S. has rejected Iranian efforts to impose a toll in the strait, citing freedom of navigation.Its entirely incongruous with the idea of freedom of navigation, right? The United States traditionally done these type of activities, ensuring the free movement of goods and transit of ships based on the principle of freedom of navigation as a general good, said David Schenker, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs under the first Trump administration. But it's not unprecedented that the United States would ask for contributions. This administration has done that before during the first administration, but this is not a situation that in general would be would be optimal. And of course, our partners, our friends, and the Persian Gulf aren't interested in seeing a change of status quo. They want to go back to February 27 2026 and at the end of the day, I think that's what what Washington should be pressing for.Irans foreign minister agreed on the compensation but stated Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER.A spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry also called the memorandum of understanding between countries in a stage of crisis, though Trump maintained a deal is still possible.Meanwhile, the price of crude oil rose by more than 5 percent Monday and the national average for a gallon of gasoline, according to AAA, ticked up from the week prior. ...read more read less