Opening summary: US launches new strikes on Iran
We provide live coverage of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
The United States announced that it has carried out airstrikes in Iran following a several‑day pause in direct American attacks on Iranian targets.
President Trump said the United States would strike Iran forcefully, stating to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, “We will hit them very hard, because it is our turn to respond. They know it is coming.”
The U.S. military described the strikes as a “forceful response” to Iran’s attempted attacks on American forces in the Middle East the previous day.
On Wednesday, Iran fired a barrage of missiles at American military installations in Jordan, marking its first attack in the region since the recent pause in hostilities. Simultaneously, the United States, in coordination with Saudi Arabia, targeted Tehran‑backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.
Elsewhere, drone attacks set fire to two natural‑gas vessels at Egypt’s Damietta port, according to the British maritime security firm Ambrey. The perpetrators of strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage platform and a Greek-owned tanker have not yet been identified, and no injuries have been reported.
If Iran or its proxies were responsible for a strike on Egypt, it would represent a major escalation of the conflict. When questioned during an Oval Office briefing about Iranian involvement, Trump replied, “It’s a little more of the same.”
The simultaneous escalation across multiple fronts, following days of relative calm, heightened the risk of a return to full‑scale war and highlighted the challenges of concluding a conflict that has persisted for five months.
The U.S.–Saudi strikes occurred shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left his first meeting with Trump since the war against Iran began on February 28.
In other news:
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The renewed hostilities caused oil prices to surge, with Brent crude, the global benchmark, rising 7.3% to $88 per barrel.
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The office of Iraqi President Nizar Amidi condemned the U.S.–Saudi airstrikes on logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq, describing them as “a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
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An oil refinery in Jazan, on the Red Sea coast, temporarily ceased operations after sustaining “relatively significant” damage from a Houthi attack on Saturday, according to a Saudi official.
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Saudi Arabia is attempting to assemble an international coalition to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, Reuters reported, citing two individuals familiar with the discussions.
A missile strike has hit a residential area of Qeshm island, Iran’s Tasnim is now also saying.
The U.S. military previously stated that the new strikes against Iran commenced at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, which corresponds to midnight Thursday GMT.
Blasts heard on Iran’s Qeshm island – report
Three explosions have been heard on Iran’s Qeshm island Iran’s semi‑official Tasnim news agency is saying.
The Gulf island near the Strait of Hormuz serves as a storage hub for Iranian attack craft, drones, sea mines, and other equipment used to disrupt maritime traffic through this critical energy corridor.
Prior to Wednesday’s escalation, mediators had expressed optimism about returning the United States and Iran to diplomatic engagement following the collapse of an interim agreement amid renewed hostilities over the Strait of Hormuz.
A regional official quoted by the Associated Press noted that mediators were “still working with both sides” to restore calm and revive the ceasefire, though he provided no specifics on progress.
Another official remarked that regional actors will continue to urge de‑escalation, but prospects for successful mediation appear dim as both parties persist in attacks and show no sign of halting hostilities.
“We are in a very bad place right now,” the unnamed official said.