US Launches New Airstrikes on Iran, Tehran Fires Back at Gulf States

The attacks came hours after US President Donald Trump said Iran’s latest attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of the fragile ceasefire. The US struck various military sites and port facilities early on Wednesday after Iran targeted several commercial ships off the coast of Oman and Iran opened fire at that time as well.

But Thursday’s attacks loomed larger, with sirens blaring at least twice in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters. There were no reports of any damage in the three Gulf Arab countries. The Kuwaiti military said it was actively intercepting incoming drones and missiles. Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait.

The US military’s Central Command said it hit nearly 90 targets across Iran and released black-and-white footage of attacks on the airport runway and missile launchers.

“US forces remain alert, lethal and ready to conduct operations directed by the Commander in Chief,” the statement said.

The US says the aim of the attacks is to “further weaken” Iran’s ability to “threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which one fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas trade passed before the war that started with the attacks of the US and Israel on February 28.

Iranian state media reported explosions in various places, including Bushehr, where Iran’s nuclear power plant complex is located, and the southern port cities of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas and Sirik. In Iranshahr, officials said a firefighter was killed in an attack at an airport.

For the first time since April, it was revealed that US attacks also targeted Iranian bridges. State media reported an attack on a railway bridge in Iran’s northeastern Golestan province, and the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges on the road to Mashhad, where authorities planned to bury the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday, were attacked. However, it was unclear whether the Golestan attack was the same attack the Guards were talking about.

Trump warns attacks on shipping will ‘get much worse’ if they happen again After leaving the NATO summit in Türkiye, Trump posted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions in Iran and issued another warning to the Islamic Republic.

“This is revenge for Iran bombing the ships yesterday. If it happens again, it will be much worse!” Trump wrote.

Trump had said earlier in the day that the latest back-and-forth conflict would not result in “long-term” military action.

“Whatever happens will happen very quickly,” Trump said, but also suggested that the US military could “get the job done.”

Trump also renewed his past threats to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants and desalination plants, and to seize the oil production center on Kharg Island.

The United States launched an attack on Iran after three tankers were hit on Tuesday, and Iranian forces retaliated by targeting American military facilities in the Persian Gulf.

Iran claimed that the temporary ceasefire agreement gave it the right to manage traffic in the strait. Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks aimed at a permanent end to the war, struck a defiant tone in a post on

Strikes raise fears war could resume Trump said the interim agreement to halt hostilities was “over”, raising concerns the war could restart, but added he would allow negotiations to continue.

Attacks have repeatedly threatened the unstable ceasefire, but Trump’s comments added new uncertainty and oil prices soared after Trump’s speech. A renewed conflict could engulf the entire Middle East and possibly halt energy shipments through the strait again.

When asked about the status of the ceasefire, Trump said, “It’s over for me.” He added that US representatives could continue negotiations but had doubts about the outcome. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi, who is also one of the top negotiators, hit back at X, saying Trump’s words were “not a sign of strength, but an admission of the failure of US policy towards Iran.”

Trump: Does the US “have the stomach for this?” He has made other threats to seize Kharg Island, including last month when he asked the question. 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports pass through the island.

Despite the negotiations, new attacks on ships in the strait may reflect a divide among Iran’s leaders. Conservatives are seeking permanent control over the waterway, which is a globally important conduit for fuel shipments and has become a critical lever in confrontation with the West. Pragmatists want a permanent peace agreement that would lift international sanctions and provide desperately needed economic relief.

Negotiations to reach a final agreement were to begin after the funeral of Khamenei, who was killed in the first moments of the war on February 28. The funeral, which ended on Thursday, was expected to be a time of low tension.

The talks are intended to focus on the toughest issues, including the full reopening of the strait and the rollback of Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.