Key facts
- The U.S. military conducted a significant wave of strikes against Iran, targeting dozens of Revolutionary Guard Corps sites.
- These strikes were in retaliation for Iran's missile attacks on a U.S. base in Jordan.
- Jordan's air defenses intercepted five Iranian missiles launched on Thursday.
- Three people were reported killed in a strike on Iran's Qeshm island.
- The U.S. also partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 26 people.
- Drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at an Egyptian port.
The United States has resumed a significant wave of air strikes against Iran, targeting dozens of Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites, including military command centers and missile facilities. These actions, described as a 'heavy wave of strikes,' were launched in retaliation for Iran's earlier missile attacks on a U.S. base in Jordan. The U.S. Central Command conducted the operation, which lasted over two hours.
Jordan's air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran on Thursday morning, with no casualties reported from the interceptions. Iran's state news agency reported that three people were killed and two wounded in a strike on the island of Qeshm, located in the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest escalation follows a U.S. and Saudi Arabia operation that struck Iran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people, including Iranian advisers. The conflict has also extended to Egypt, where drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the port of Damietta. President Trump previewed a possible retaliatory strike, telling reporters the U.S. would hit Iran 'very hard' after their attempted attack.
These developments raise concerns about a potential return to all-out war in the region, complicating efforts by mediators to broker a de-escalation and a return to negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. The ongoing conflict has already impacted the global economy and is proving unpopular domestically in the U.S. European allies are dismissing the Trump administration’s efforts to join a naval patrol of the strait, signaling that they want to see a ceasefire in the region first.