Washington: The United States launched fresh airstrikes against Iranian military sites on Tuesday, prompting Tehran to fire ballistic missiles and drones at regional targets, including a US base in Jordan, as a six‑month‑old conflict flared anew and rattled global oil markets, AP reported.
One US strike hit a house hosting a wedding in southern Iran, killing at least four to five people — including a child — and wounding dozens, according to Iranian officials and rescue agencies.
US Central Command said it completed a new barrage against Iranian air‑defence positions, radar systems and maritime assets, calling the operation retaliation for Tehran’s attempts to target commercial shipping and American forces in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump told Fox News the strikes focused on radars Iran had been rebuilding, saying: “We waited until it was almost built and then we hit it.” On social media, he described the attacks as “large and powerful” and warned that any Iranian retaliation would be met with still harder blows.
Wedding Strike Kills Civilians
Iranian state media and local officials said a US strike hit a home where a wedding was under way in Kuhestak/Kohstak in Sirik county, Hormozgan province, on the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Red Crescent initially reported four dead, including a child, and more than 50 injured; later provincial accounts put the death toll at five and the wounded at 68.
A US Central Command spokesperson said the command was aware of the reports but noted they “originated from Iranian state media,” adding: “The US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC.”
Iran Hits Jordan, Claims US Base Struck
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it launched ballistic missiles at a US base in Jordan — identified in reports as Camp Titin near Aqaba on the Gulf of Aqaba — claiming it killed “a large number of US forces,” a claim US officials denied.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted 10 of 13 incoming missiles. The remaining three landed in unpopulated areas, with no casualties reported.
Iran also said it attacked US forces in Bahrain and referenced operations against Kuwait. Kuwait reported intercepting drone attacks, and Bahrain said all attacks were intercepted.
Iran Pledges ‘Crushing’ Retaliation
Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and its joint command vowed to deliver “crushing and devastating blows” against the United States, saying the latest US strikes had only hardened Tehran’s resolve. The Revolutionary Guard, cited by state news agency IRNA, said the attacks had further tightened Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil chokepoint that normally carries about 20% of global supplies.
Explosions rocked several southern coastal areas, including Bandar Abbas — home to key naval and air bases — and Qeshm Island in the strait. Witnesses in Bandar Abbas told The Associated Press the blasts were stronger than Sunday’s and that smoke was rising from the city’s eastern side along the waterway.
Iranian state television reported US strikes on civilian sites along the southern coast, including a fishmeal factory on Qeshm Island, a fishing pier and a Ports and Maritime Organization tower in Sirik, and said parts of Hormozgan’s power grid were hit, causing outages.
State media also said a projectile struck outside the runway at Jiroft Airport in Kerman province, causing no damage to airport infrastructure. Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff and the Revolutionary Guard warned of “crushing and devastating blows” against the United States and said the attacks had tightened Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil flows.
Late on Tuesday, Trump said he would not force Iran to the bargaining table, writing: “I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”
