The United States launched a new round of ‘self-defense’ strikes on Iran on Wednesday evening amid stalled negotiations with Tehran.
US Central Command announced that starting at 5.15pm ET ‘forces began launching additional self-defense strikes against multiple targets in Iran.’
CENTCOM added that the strikes come at the ‘Commander in Chief’s direction’ and were ‘in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.’
Iranian media has since reported that explosions were heard around Minab and Sirik in the southern part of the country, near the Strait of Hormuz.
Air defense systems in southern Iran were activated – though no attacks have occurred thus far in the key energy hub, CNN reports.
The renewed US strikes come just hours after Trump met with his advisors in the Situation Room to discuss options for a massive bombing raid.
The president has grown frustrated with the stalled efforts to negotiate a peace deal. Trump was reportedly hoping the bombing efforts will push Iran to strike a deal.
He was considering an operation ‘that is big in scale but short in duration,’ sources told Axios.
The strikes on Wednesday came at President Donald Trump’s direction
The attack on Iran was described as ‘self-defense strikes’ after Iran struck US assets
Following the meeting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters: ‘CENTCOM will be busy tonight because we are going to hit Iran hard … they are going to have tap, tap, tap bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the US. It is not to restart the war but to set the terms for a deal.’
Trump also warned: ‘We hit them hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit them hard again today.’
But Tehran has threatened to broaden the conflict to other countries if the US were to strike.
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the national security commission in Iran’s parliament, promised retaliation on X, writing: ‘This time, the war won’t be limited to the region.’
Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani also told the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that his country ‘has never negotiated under threats and pressure, and never will submit to pressure or question.’
Meanwhile, Qatari mediators were holding talks with Iranian officials in another effort to bring about a deal.
Trump has been insistent that any deal to end the war in Iran sees the country give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is just one short technical step from weapons-grade levels.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters, ‘CENTCOM will be busy tonight because we are going to hit Iran hard’
An Iranian missile was launched as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had carried out attacks on a US base in Jordan and 21 other targets across the Gulf
Iran, though, is refusing to give up the uranium – which it claims is being used for peaceful purposes – and is demanding relief from US-imposed sanctions.
Iranian officials also want frozen assets to be released even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump has rejected.
Additionally, Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end the fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel – but Israel has instead intensified its military campaign against the Lebanon-based militant group.
Amid the standstill, Trump accused Iranian forces of downing a US helicopter on Monday with two crew members on board, who were later rescued.
The US responded by striking command and control, defense and surveillance stations late Tuesday, while Iran said it attacked American bases in Jordan and Bahrain on Wednesday.
Trump has also threatened to target Iranian bridges and power plants, a step he had originally threatened just before the ceasefire but never followed through on.
‘I am not going to say that to you. But I can do that,’ Trump said when asked by an AFP journalist about a Fox News report that he was considering such plans.
But the president has also said that despite the fighting he was hoping for ‘peace for the world’ for his 80th birthday on Sunday, when he is hosting a cage fight on the White House lawn.
