US Launches Fresh Strikes On Iran As Conflict Escalates

The United States has carried out a fresh wave of airstrikes against Iran, marking the 10th consecutive night of military action, as President Donald Trump vowed retaliation for the deaths of three American service members.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the latest strikes targeted Iranian military command centres, missile and drone launch sites, maritime capabilities and air defence systems in an effort to further weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said Iran had been hit “very hard” during overnight operations, describing the attacks as retaliation for the recent deaths of three US soldiers—two killed in Jordan and one in Iraq.

Iran responded by claiming it struck two oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and launched attacks on US military assets in Bahrain and Kuwait. President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran was now engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed it had destroyed infrastructure belonging to US technology company Amazon in Bahrain with cruise missiles, according to state media.

Despite the escalating hostilities, Iranian officials said indirect diplomatic contacts with Washington were continuing through intermediaries after an earlier ceasefire collapsed.

CENTCOM said commercial shipping was still moving through the Strait of Hormuz despite the conflict.

Iranian state media reported that rescue teams were evacuating the crews of the two damaged oil tankers. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had been struck by an unidentified projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. It was not immediately clear if it was one of the ships mentioned by Iran.

The US Department of Defense identified two of the American soldiers killed in the weekend attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan as Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, and Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii. CENTCOM said a third service member was initially reported missing before unidentified remains were later recovered.

The conflict has also spilled across the wider region. Jordan’s military said it intercepted three Iranian missiles overnight, while Kuwait reported shooting down Iranian drones. Bahrain said Iranian drones targeted its air navigation systems, although air traffic was not disrupted.

Iranian media also reported that US strikes overnight hit several cities, including Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini.

The latest exchanges underscore the rapid escalation of the conflict, raising fears of further instability in the Gulf and potential disruption to global energy supplies through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.