The US military said it had ended its latest attacks on targets in Iran, while Tehran said it had launched a retaliatory operation against US bases in the region.
US forces struck targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including air defence positions, radar systems and equipment used to lay sea mines, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.
The strikes followed attempted Iranian attacks on commercial ships and US targets in the region, it said, adding that more than 50,000 US troops in the Gulf region remained ready to carry out further operations.
The IRGC, meanwhile, said in a statement carried by Iranian media including the Mehr news agency, that they had begun attacking US bases with missiles and drones. Iranian state media reported that targets included US bases in Jordan and a US base in Bahrain.
Jordan later said it had intercepted and destroyed 10 ballistic missiles fired from Iran, while three others crashed in remote areas, state news agency Petra reported. No injuries were reported.
Kuwait’s military also said its air defences had repelled “attacks by hostile drones” from Iran, adding that explosions heard across the Gulf state were caused by the interceptions.
On Sunday, fighting escalated again for the first time in weeks, with US forces striking targets in Iran. Tehran responded by firing missiles at US military bases in Jordan, which were intercepted, according to officials.
Oil prices rose sharply as tensions escalated. Brent crude briefly climbed to $95.44 a barrel, its highest level in about two and a half months.
Trump threatens further attacks
Trump described the US strikes as “large and powerful” on Truth Social, saying they were carried out in response to an Iranian attempt to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as recent Iranian missile attacks on US bases in Jordan. He reiterated the US position that there were currently no mines in the waterway.
Trump also warned that Iran would face a larger US attack if it retaliated. “If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level,” he wrote. He added that such a US response “will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!”
Fox News later quoted Trump as saying the United States could potentially have Iran “wiped out” completely if it launched another attack.
CENTCOM said its strikes began at noon US Eastern time (1600 GMT) and targeted Revolutionary Guards sites in Iran. It did not initially provide details of the targets.
Earlier on Tuesday, the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters stated in a declaration carried by state media that the enemy would be dealt devastating blows; the more chaos the US caused in the region, the heavier the losses it would suffer.
Iran reports civilian casualties
The Revolutionary Guards said the US had bombed several locations, including civilian areas, and warned that the attacks would further intensify Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in Bandar Abbas near the strait, as well as in the eastern regions around Konarak and Chabahar. Explosions were also reported on Lavan Island in the Gulf.
Iranian state media reported that four people, including a four-year-old child, were killed and more than 50 injured in an attack on a wedding party near Sirik. The reports could not immediately be independently verified.
The Strait of Hormuz has become the central flashpoint in the conflict, with Iran largely restricting traffic through the waterway through threats and attacks on ships. US forces have repeatedly escorted vessels along Oman’s coast through the passage, according to US media reports.
US news website Axios reported that the latest US strikes were part of a plan developed by CENTCOM and considered by Trump and senior advisers in recent days. The plan envisaged limited strikes near the strait to prevent Iran from rebuilding its radar and missile capabilities for attacks on ships, Axios reported, citing US officials.