The United States has launched another wave of military strikes on Iran. President Donald Trump warned Tehran to “behave” or face further action.
According to BBC, the US military said it targeted Iranian military assets that Tehran had allegedly used to threaten commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, US Central Command said the latest operation aimed to further weaken Iran’s ability to attack shipping in the strategic waterway.
Iranian state media reported that air-defence systems responded in Tehran and explosions occurred in several other cities. This happened as the renewed confrontation entered its fifth day.
Trump warns Iran against further escalation
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump declined to give Iran a deadline to return to negotiations. However, he warned that Tehran understood the consequences of refusing to cooperate.
“I don’t like giving deadlines, but they pretty much know, they know the story… they better behave,” Trump said.
Trump later claimed during a defence summit that Iranian leaders desperately wanted an agreement. He said this was because of the pressure created by the US military campaign.
“They want to settle so badly. They don’t like what we’re doing,” he said.
“We’ll find out whether we want to settle with them or if we just finish it off,” Trump added.
The US president had previously threatened to attack Iranian bridges and power facilities if Tehran refused to return to negotiations.
A previous threat against civilian infrastructure drew criticism from United Nations officials. They warned that deliberate attacks on civilian facilities could violate international law.
US targets missile and coastal facilities
CENTCOM said American forces launched two waves of attacks during daylight hours on Wednesday.
The military said a 90-minute operation targeted coastal defence systems and cruise-missile storage and launch facilities on Greater Tunb Island.
A later round struck command centres, air-defence positions, missile and drone sites and coastal-surveillance facilities. These strikes included targets around Bandar Abbas near the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, Reuters reported that Washington has focused its latest campaign on Iranian air defences, coastal radar installations and other military infrastructure.
Iranian media also reported strikes near Ahvaz, where authorities evacuated a hospital because of nearby explosions.
The US military said it also intercepted a commercial vessel that allegedly attempted to breach the renewed blockade on Iranian ports. Furthermore, CENTCOM said it had redirected other vessels after Washington restored the blockade on Tuesday.
Iran retaliates against US targets
Iran said its forces responded by attacking US military facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Jordanian authorities said their forces intercepted eight drones and recorded no injuries or property damage.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tehran had no reason to honour its preliminary agreement with Washington. He said this was the case if the country received no benefits from it.
He argued that Iran’s national security depended on maintaining what he called “Iranian arrangements” in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are in an essential and existential war with America,” Ghalibaf said, while maintaining that negotiations remained part of Iran’s wider resistance strategy.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard also threatened to disrupt other oil and gas export routes that serve the United States and its allies. However, it did not identify the routes.
Iran releases detained American
Despite the fighting, Iran allowed American citizen Dena Karari to leave the country. This followed after authorities had prevented her from departing since December 2024.
Trump described the release as a goodwill gesture and said Karari was safely outside Iran and in good condition.
“The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Her lawyer, Jared Genser, said she was travelling back to the United States.
The renewed military exchanges have further disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping data showed that only seven vessels crossed the waterway on Wednesday, compared with 13 the previous day. The strait handled about one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the conflict began.
The latest US strikes on Iran have raised fears that the preliminary peace agreement could collapse completely. This could push both countries into a wider and more prolonged confrontation.
I can monitor the US-Iran conflict and alert you when there is a major military or diplomatic development.
