US and Iran exchange fire for a second day, undermining shaky ceasefire

DUBAI/WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran exchanged air attacks for a second consecutive day on Thursday, as President Donald Trump warned of further strikes unless Tehran immediately agrees to a peace deal.

The escalation began earlier this week after a U.S. Apache helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, triggering a series of retaliatory attacks between Iranian forces and U.S. bases across the region.

The latest violence marks the most serious strain on a fragile ceasefire reached in April, further dimming hopes for a swift end to the conflict that began in late February with major U.S.-Israeli joint airstrikes on Iran.

The U.S. military said its latest operation targeted “military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites across Iran” in response to what it described as Tehran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.”

Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on Wednesday evening that U.S. strikes would soon stop but warned they would resume if Iran’s leadership did not immediately sign a deal, according to Yingst’s post on X.

Oil prices rose nearly $3 following Trump’s remarks and extended gains in Asian trading on Thursday.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes were completed about four hours after they began shortly after midnight in Tehran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched counterattacks on 18 U.S. military targets at air bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as on the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. It later said it also targeted Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan for a second consecutive night, firing 12 ballistic missiles at the facility.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl sustained minor injuries, while vehicles caught fire and homes were damaged in Hamad Town and the capital, Manama, after debris from intercepted drones fell. Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace due to the attack.

Iran’s military command also warned it would target any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has faced heightened tensions in recent months. Iranian media reported that two U.S. ships were fired upon, though U.S. Central Command denied the claim and said the waterway remained open to commercial traffic.

The U.S. military separately said it struck a vessel in the Gulf of Oman that it accused of carrying Iranian oil in violation of instructions. India said three missing seafarers from the ship had died.

Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, including Sirik, Kargan, Bandar Abbas, Minab, and Karaj near the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Varamin further north near the Caspian Sea.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were intended to pressure Iran into negotiations. He said the operation would “advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position,” adding, “We will strike them hard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision. If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs.”

The exchanges come despite ongoing, though unsuccessful, diplomatic efforts to end the war, now in its fourth month. Trump has repeatedly said a deal is close, but no breakthrough has been announced.

Iran accused the United States of striking water reservoirs supplying drinking water to 10 villages, calling the attack a violation of international law. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described it as “a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights.” The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the allegation.

The conflict has killed thousands and disrupted roughly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, pushing energy prices higher and adding pressure on global markets. It has also become a political challenge for the White House, as rising fuel prices weigh on domestic approval ratings ahead of upcoming elections.

In Lebanon, fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah continued in parallel. Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, according to Lebanese security sources, while Hezbollah claimed fresh attacks on Israeli positions.

The Israeli military said two launches were detected near areas where its troops are operating in southern Lebanon, following air raid sirens in northern Israel early Thursday.

Iran has demanded an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, lifting of sanctions, release of frozen assets, and recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz as part of any potential agreement. Trump has insisted Iran must halt restrictions on shipping through the strait and abandon any nuclear weapons ambitions, which Tehran denies. -Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Clarence Fernandez/Reuters