The United States has carried out a new round of air strikes against targets in Iran. This action has increased fears about the latest confrontation between Washington and Tehran, that it could develop into a wider conflict.
US Central Command said the attacks began at 12pm Eastern Time on Tuesday and targeted positions linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The US said the strikes followed recent attacks by the IRGC on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed in the region.
The latest military action came despite diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian had said earlier on Tuesday that Tehran would respond if Washington carried out new attacks. His comments came at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He also referred in the summit about the memorandum which is intended to help bring an end to the conflict.
That agreement, reached during the wider confrontation involving Iran, the US and Israel had initially created an opportunity for negotiations.
However, several difficult issues remained unresolved. The understanding also provided for a longer period of talks but that period passed without a further agreement.
Following the US strikes, Iranian officials adopted a defiant position. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of making excessive demands and said the US had sought to dictate the terms of negotiations.
Iranian media also reported explosions in several locations. Reports included explosions on Qeshm Island which is near the Strait of Hormuz, as well as in Bandar Abbas and Chabahar ports. Other reports mentioned explosions in Jask and Sirik. The reports could not independently establish the scale or cause of all the explosions.
US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face a stronger response if it retaliated against the latest American strikes.
In a social media post, Trump said Tehran would be hit “at a much harder and higher level” if it responded.
The US Embassy in Qatar meanwhile advised Americans who are residing in West-Asia region to exercise increased caution. It warned of possible disruptions involving flights, airspace closures and travel.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point in the confrontation because of its importance to global energy shipments. Tehran has previously warned that it could prevent oil from leaving the Persian Gulf.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was quoted by Iranian media as saying that if Iran were prevented from exporting oil through the gulf, others would not be able to do so either.
The confrontation is also moving beyond military action. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had indicated that Washington was preparing new sanctions against Iran. At a G20 finance leaders’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, Bessent said the US intended to target entities doing business with the IRGC.
For now, both Washington and Tehran continue to signal that they are prepared to respond to further actions by the other side.
