Attacks traded for a second day, undermining shaky ceasefire

Dubai/Washington: US President Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran “very hard tonight” and threatened to take control of its oil and gas infrastructure and markets soon after the two sides launched airstrikes for a second consecutive day on Thursday.

“In the not-too-distant future, we will seize Kharg Island and other oil infrastructure points and assume full control of the Oil and Gas Markets, as in Venezuela,” Trump told Truth Social.

Trump said in an interview on Fox News: “There will be more bombings tonight. It will be bigger, bigger, stronger.”

“My preference has always been to take Kharg Island… That would be my preference. I don’t know if America has the stomach for that,” he added.

The escalation of the conflict began earlier this week when a US Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a series of tit-for-tat attacks across Iran and against US bases in the region.

It was the most serious threat to the fragile ceasefire reached in April, dampening hopes for a quick end to the war that began with major joint US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran in late February.

The US military said its latest strikes targeted “military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense facilities across Iran” in response to Tehran’s “unjustified and ongoing aggression”.

Trump told Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst on Wednesday evening (Washington time) that U.S. attacks would soon stop but would continue heavy bombardment if Iranian leaders did not immediately sign an agreement with the United States, according to a post Yingst shared on channel X.

Oil prices rose nearly US$3 ($4.30) after Trump threatened to escalate tensions, continuing gains in early Asian trading on Thursday.

The US military’s Central Command announced just after midnight in Tehran that the attacks were completed, about four hours after they began.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched an attack against 18 US military targets at air bases in Kuwait and Bahrain and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

It later said it targeted Al Azraq air base in Jordan for the second night in a row, firing 12 ballistic missiles at the US base.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said that an 11-year-old girl was slightly injured, vehicles caught fire and houses were damaged in Hamad Town and the capital Manama after the debris fell as a result of the intercept and destruction of Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles. Kuwait announced that it closed its airspace for a short time due to the Iranian attack.

US denies Iran’s claim that the Strait was closed

Iran’s top joint military command also warned that any ship trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed for months, would be opened fire on. Iranian media reported that two US ships were opened fire on.

US Central Command denied that the strait was closed or that any of its ships were hit, saying that commercial ships were still passing through the strait despite Iran’s threats.c

The United States has maintained its own blockade of Iranian ports and said Wednesday it opened fire on a ship carrying oil from Iran in the Gulf of Oman that ignored its instructions. India said three sailors missing from the ship had died.

Iranian news agencies reported explosions in many cities across the country of 93 million people, including Sirik, Kargan, Bandar Abbas, Minab and Karaj, near the strait, as well as Varamin, further north, near the Caspian Sea.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the move as an effort to force Iran into a deal that would end the conflict.

The strikes “will advance our military interests and also strengthen our diplomatic position,” he told reporters during a visit to Central Command in Florida.

“We will hit them hard tonight and I hope Iran makes a good decision,” he said. “If we have to negotiate with bombs, we will negotiate with bombs.”

The United States and Iran have exchanged fire several times since the temporary ceasefire took effect, although negotiators have failed in their attempts to end the war, which is now in its fourth month.

While Trump has repeatedly said an agreement has been reached, despite there being no signs of progress, he has also threatened to continue the bombardment.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US military targeted air defenses and radar sites around the Strait of Hormuz after a US attack helicopter was shot down near the strategic waterway on Monday.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. A US official said there was no significant damage.

Iran accused the United States of violating international law by hitting reservoirs supplying drinking water to 10 villages.

“This is not collateral damage, but a calculated war crime and a clear violation of human rights,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghei.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The war has killed thousands of people and disrupted nearly a fifth of global supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas, causing prices to rise sharply.

The conflict has become a political headache for the White House. Polls show Trump’s approval ratings falling amid voter anger over high oil prices.

Some Republicans openly worry that unpopularity of the war could lead to them losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

Clashes continue in Lebanon

Fighting continued in Lebanon in a parallel war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

Lebanese security sources stated that at least 13 people were killed in Israeli air strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, while Hezbollah claimed new attacks against Israeli forces.

The Israeli military said that after sirens went off in several areas in northern Israel early Thursday, two “launches” were detected falling adjacent to an area where Israeli troops were operating in southern Lebanon.

Tehran’s demands include ending Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, lifting sanctions against Iran, releasing billions of dollars of frozen assets and recognizing control of the strait.

Trump said Iran should end shipping restrictions via Hormuz. He also says any peace deal must ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies such a claim.