The United States launched a fresh round of strikes on multiple Iranian targets overnight on Wednesday-Thursday, US Central Command said, hours after President Donald Trump threatened further attacks if no peace settlement is reached.
“The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression,” CENTCOM said in a post on X, adding the operation began after midnight Tehran time. Iranian media reported explosions in the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas, on Qeshm Island in the Gulf, and in the southern towns of Sirik and Minab. Air defence systems were also activated over western Tehran, according to local reports.
Trump had earlier warned of imminent action, accusing Iran of stalling negotiations. “They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them; now they will have to pay the price,” he said.
The strikes mark the second major US wave in two days, following Wednesday’s retaliation strikes after the loss of a US Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude had already climbed above $92 a barrel earlier in the week on oil markets’ reaction to the Apache strikes, and analysts warn a sustained second-wave operation will further squeeze prices.
Within hours of CENTCOM’s announcement, Iran’s joint military command declared a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, threatening to fire on any ship attempting passage — Tehran’s strongest publicly announced response of the current cycle. Trump had earlier signalled he was close to a deal before the latest escalation.
Sources: Ada Derana, Newswire.
