The United States launched a new wave of large-scale strikes against Iran after several days without direct attacks, marking another sharp escalation in the five-month conflict. The operation came in response to Iran's missile attack on US military installations in Jordan a day earlier, an assault that Washington said had been fully intercepted.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation lasted about two hours and targeted dozens of sites linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the US military, the strikes hit military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense installations, and maritime assets. CENTCOM said the operation was intended to reduce threats posed by Iran and its regional allies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf states.
Before the strikes, President Donald Trump had warned that the United States would respond forcefully. "We're going to hit them very hard," Trump said, adding that it was now America's turn to retaliate after Iran's attempted attacks on US forces in the region. Reports also indicated that the White House had been weighing options ranging from limited retaliation to a broader air campaign designed to significantly weaken Iran's missile capabilities.
