The U.S. military launched a major wave of airstrikes against Iranian targets early Thursday in response to a recent Iranian missile attack on an American base in Jordan.
According to U.S. Central Command, the two-hour barrage hit dozens of sites connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including command posts, missile and drone storage units, and coastal defense installations.
The retaliation followed a joint U.S.-Saudi operation against Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, which killed at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. Iranian state media reported two injuries from strikes on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, alongside explosions in Khuzestan province.
The sharp escalation came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of a severe response.
Referring to the potential involvement of Iran in a separate drone attack that set fire to two natural gas vessels off Egypt’s port of Damietta, Trump stated during an Oval Office event:
“It’s a little more of the same.”
He then added regarding the overall campaign:
“In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them.”
The strikes on the U.S.-owned storage unit and Greek-owned tanker near Egypt—if confirmed to be linked to Tehran or its proxies—mark a significant expansion of the five-month conflict into previously untouched regions. The incident, along with ongoing Houthi drone strikes against Saudi energy infrastructure, has effectively stalled international mediation efforts and shuttered shipping through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
The sudden rise in military action has heightened fears of a broader regional war, raised concerns over dwindling U.S. munition stockpiles, and triggered an immediate reaction in energy markets, sending Brent crude surging 7.3% to $88.09 a barrel.