By Stephen Collinson, CNN
The Trump administration is making a new bid to prove a core assumption the Iran war so far suggests is flawed: that punishing strikes from a far superior US military force will force Tehran to capitulate.
President Donald Trump ordered new attacks on multiple Iranian targets on Wednesday (all times local), hours after accusing the Islamic Republic of "tapping us along" and not making a deal. "They keep playing us for suckers," he said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth explained that Washington was "clearly signaling" to Iran's leaders and hoped to "enhance" its diplomatic position. "If we need to negotiate with bombs, we will negotiate with bombs," he said.
The full extent of the target list and damage from the new air strikes was not immediately clear. US Central Command said in a statement that American forces fired precision munitions at Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense assets.
