US launches new strikes after Trump threatens to attack Iran 'very hard'

WASHINGTON/DUBAI — The United States launched a fresh round of airstrikes against multiple targets in Iran overnight, according to the U.S. military on Wednesday, just hours after Donald Trump warned of additional attacks if a peace agreement is not reached.

The U.S. military’s United States Central Command said the strikes were conducted in response to what it described as “unwarranted and continued aggression” from Iran, adding that operations began shortly after midnight in Tehran.

Iran’s top joint military command warned it would target any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route that has faced severe disruption in recent months. Iranian media reported that two ships were fired upon following the warning.

The latest strikes mark an escalation in an ongoing exchange of attacks that has raised fears of a wider regional war, despite a fragile ceasefire reached earlier this year. Iranian media reported explosions in several southern cities, including Sirik, Kangan, Bandar Abbas, and Minab.

Speaking at the White House earlier on Wednesday, Trump said further military action was imminent. “We’re going to be attacking them, attacking them very hard,” Trump said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the strikes as part of a broader strategy to pressure Iran into negotiations. During a visit to Central Command in Florida, Hegseth said the operations would “advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position,” adding, “If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs.”

The exchange of strikes between the two countries has continued intermittently since the ceasefire agreement, with both sides conducting attacks despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to end months of conflict. Trump has repeatedly claimed a deal is close, though no breakthrough has been confirmed.

Earlier operations reportedly targeted air defense and radar installations around the Strait of Hormuz after a U.S. attack helicopter was downed near the area. Iran later launched missile and drone strikes on U.S. bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, though U.S. officials said damage was limited.

Iran accused the United States of striking civilian infrastructure, including water reservoirs supplying multiple villages, and described the attacks as violations of international law. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghei said, “This is not collateral damage — it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Iranian lawmakers also warned of broader retaliation. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said the conflict “will not be limited to the region.”

Despite heightened rhetoric, diplomatic channels remain active. A delegation from Qatar, which has played a mediating role between Washington and Tehran, arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for renewed talks, according to Iranian media.

The conflict has had significant global economic consequences, disrupting energy flows and contributing to rising oil prices. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial share of global oil shipments passes, has been a focal point of the confrontation.

Trump claimed that vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil have continued transiting the waterway under covert protection, saying such operations would not be possible without U.S. involvement. Hegseth also stated that commercial shipping continued “in the middle of the night” under U.S. protection.

Separately, the U.S. military said it disabled an oil tanker carrying Iranian crude in the Gulf of Oman for a second consecutive day, further intensifying tensions in regional waters.

Fighting has also continued in parallel conflicts involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, while Hezbollah said it carried out new attacks against Israeli forces.

Iran’s negotiating position includes demands for an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon, relief from sanctions, the release of frozen assets, and recognition of its influence over regional waterways. The United States has insisted that any agreement must prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran denies.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog’s 35-member Board of Governors passed a U.S.-backed resolution on Wednesday calling on Iran to declare its remaining enriched uranium stockpiles and allow full inspections. Iran dismissed the resolution as politically motivated.

As tensions continue to escalate, markets reacted sharply, with oil prices rising nearly $3 per barrel following renewed U.S. threats of escalation, underscoring growing fears of prolonged instability in the region. -Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Andy Sullivan, Ros Russell and Gareth Jones; Editing by Peter Graff, Aidan Lewis and Deepa Babington/Reuters