The United States and Iran traded air attacks for a second straight day Thursday, as President Donald Trump threatened more strikes unless Tehran agreed to a peace deal.
The latest exchange followed the downing of a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. US forces then targeted Iranian air defence, radar, communications and surveillance sites, according to US and regional reports.
US Central Command said the strikes were complete shortly after midnight in Tehran, about 2:30 a.m. Thursday in Pakistan. The command later denied Iranian claims that the Strait of Hormuz had closed or that US ships were hit, saying commercial vessels were still transiting the waterway.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck 18 US military targets, including airbases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Iranian forces also claimed attacks on the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the al-Azraq air base in Jordan.
Kuwait said its air defences engaged hostile aerial targets, while Bahrain said it intercepted and destroyed Iranian aerial attacks. Iranian outlets reported explosions in several cities, including Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Minab and Karaj.
Read: Trump Warns Iran Will “Pay The Price” As Strikes Shake Ceasefire
Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst that US strikes would stop shortly, but warned that heavy bombing would resume if Iran did not sign an agreement. The Guardian reported that Trump also claimed the United States controlled the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices rose after Iran claimed the Strait was closed. OilPrice.com reported that the market moved higher as traders reacted to the Hormuz threat and US-Iran escalation.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes were meant to strengthen Washington’s military and diplomatic position. Fighting also continued in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah exchanged attacks as Tehran demanded an end to Israeli strikes there.
