The United States military launched a new wave of airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, striking more than 90 targets while Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at three American-allied Gulf nations, threatening to unravel a fragile ceasefire and reignite a wider regional war.
U.S. Central Command confirmed the strikes were intended to “further degrade” Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passes. The exchange began after Iran attacked three commercial oil tankers in the strait on Tuesday.
Air raid sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters. Missiles also struck toward Kuwait and Qatar. Kuwait’s military said it shot down three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile, and 10 drones, with falling debris wounding one person. Jordan, where the U.S. has stationed troops and aircraft, also recorded sirens Thursday afternoon.
Iran’s Health Ministry said the two-day American campaign killed at least 14 people and wounded 78 inside Iran, most of them described as members of the armed forces.
U.S. Central Command released black-and-white footage showing strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers. For the first time since April, strikes also appeared to target Iranian railway and road bridges, including on the route to Mashhad, where officials were planning to bury the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his death in the war’s opening hours on Feb. 28.
A local official in Bushehr accused the U.S. of striking near Iran’s sole nuclear power plant. Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that allegation.
President Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after departing the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, issued a direct warning. “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!” he posted on social media, alongside footage he said showed explosions inside Iran.
When a reporter asked about Iran potentially targeting Air Force One, Trump did not flinch. “I’m number one on their list, before you,” he said. “But if I go, you go. So, perhaps some of you want to change professions.”
Trump flew back on the older Air Force One rather than a newer Qatari-gifted aircraft, citing potential security risks, according to The Hill.
Trump declared earlier this week that the ceasefire, formalized in a 14-point memorandum of understanding signed last month, is “over.” He said negotiations could continue but expressed skepticism. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he told reporters.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has been a key figure in ceasefire negotiations, posted a defiant message on X. “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free,” he wrote. “If you strike, you’ll get hit.”
The exchange comes at a volatile moment. Negotiations toward a permanent deal, including the full reopening of the strait and rolling back Iran’s nuclear program, were set to begin following Khamenei’s funeral. Those talks are now in doubt.
Oil prices surged following Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire had collapsed, reflecting global anxiety over any prolonged disruption to Hormuz shipping routes. Before the war, the strait carried energy shipments critical to markets across Europe and Asia.
