US, Iran trade major strikes as war flares across Gulf, Hormuz tensions deepen

The United States and Iran have exchanged their heaviest attacks in weeks, shattering a relative lull in the conflict and raising fresh fears of a broader Middle East confrontation as Tehran targets American military positions across the region.

The latest escalation has centred on Iran’s southern coastline and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, with Washington striking Iranian military and maritime targets and Tehran retaliating against US-linked facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.

According to BBC News live coverage, developments in the conflict continue to unfold as the two sides trade threats and military action across the region.

US forces launched a new wave of strikes against targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, focusing on air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, communications infrastructure and capabilities Washington says could be used to threaten shipping.

US Central Command said its forces had completed the latest operation successfully. The strikes followed renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors.

President Donald Trump said the military action followed Iranian attempts to lay sea mines in the strait and attacks against US interests. He warned Tehran that further retaliation could trigger significantly stronger American strikes.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against American military positions and facilities across several Middle Eastern countries.

Iranian forces said they targeted US-linked sites in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The Revolutionary Guards claimed a “heavy” ballistic missile attack against Prince Hassan Air Base and a US Marine facility in Jordan.

Jordan’s military said its air defences intercepted 10 of 13 Iranian ballistic missiles entering its airspace, while the remaining three fell in remote areas without causing casualties.

Kuwait also reported confronting Iranian missiles and drones, while Bahrain said Iranian drones had been intercepted. Tehran claimed its strikes damaged American military assets, although several of its battlefield claims had not been independently verified.

The renewed fighting has also brought reports of civilian casualties inside Iran.

Iranian authorities said an American strike hit a home where a wedding celebration was taking place near Sirik, close to the Strait of Hormuz. At least five people, including a child, were reported killed and dozens wounded.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the incident and accused Washington of attacking civilians. There was no immediate confirmation from the US military that it had deliberately targeted the gathering.

Reports from southern and southwestern Iran indicated that other locations were also struck, including areas around Bandar Abbas, Jask, Konarak and Qeshm Island. Iranian state media also reported deaths following attacks in Khuzestan province.

The latest exchanges represent the most serious escalation between Washington and Tehran since July.

The Strait of Hormuz remains at the heart of the confrontation. Iran has sought to use its ability to disrupt the waterway as leverage, while Washington has attempted to keep shipping moving and weaken Tehran’s capacity to threaten vessels.

The consequences are spreading beyond the battlefield. Oil prices have risen amid concerns that prolonged fighting could disrupt supplies from Gulf producers, while renewed geopolitical uncertainty has weighed on financial markets.

Trump, meanwhile, has shown little indication that Washington intends to immediately return to diplomacy.

In comments following the strikes, the US president said he preferred America’s current position and argued that Washington had gained significant leverage over the Strait of Hormuz while economic pressure on Iran intensified.

Iran has also hardened its rhetoric. Iranian officials have promised further retaliation if US attacks continue, while the Revolutionary Guards have warned countries hosting American forces that US military facilities on their territory could become targets.

With both Washington and Tehran threatening further action, the latest attacks have transformed what had been a period of reduced fighting into another dangerous phase of the war, with American bases, Gulf states and global energy routes increasingly exposed to the confrontation.