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The United States military has carried out a “heavy wave” of strikes against Iran in retaliation for what it described as an attempted ballistic missile attack on American forces in the Middle East.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it targeted “dozens” of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites, including military command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance systems, defence positions, and maritime capabilities.
The strikes came after Iran launched attacks on a US base in Jordan and targeted vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Washington. CENTCOM said all Iranian missiles fired during the attacks were intercepted.
Iranian state media reported that the latest US strikes killed three people, including a two-year-old child, on Qeshm Island. Other locations in southern and western Iran were also reportedly hit.
Fars news agency, citing the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, reported that a US strike on a residential house in the Chah Tangu neighbourhood of Qeshm killed three members of a family — a father, mother, and their young child.
The latest escalation comes after a brief period of relative calm, during which both sides had paused attacks amid reports of renewed diplomatic efforts. US President Donald Trump described the talks as “very friendly negotiations”, while Tehran denied that formal discussions were taking place.
Following Iran’s missile attack on a US base in Jordan on Tuesday, Trump warned of a strong response, saying it was “our turn to hit them.”
The latest US strikes began at 8:00pm Eastern Time on Wednesday and lasted about an hour. CENTCOM described the operation as a “powerful response” to Iran’s attacks on US forces in the region.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s armed forces said its air defence systems intercepted five Iranian missiles targeting its territory on Thursday.
Iran’s IRGC claimed it had targeted a US air base and command centre in Jordan in response to what it called American aggression. It also said naval forces had struck three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they allegedly ignored warnings and travelled through what Tehran described as an unsafe route.
The confrontation has continued for months since the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February. Although President Trump initially suggested the conflict would last only a few weeks, the fighting has expanded with no clear end in sight.
The crisis widened further this week after the first publicly announced joint US-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. CENTCOM said the operation targeted multiple weapons and logistics facilities linked to more than 30 drone attacks allegedly directed by the IRGC.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a coalition dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, said at least 20 of its members were killed in the US-Saudi strikes. The Iraqi government condemned the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty, while Trump said the operation had been coordinated with Iraqi authorities.
Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni Muslim power, and Iran, the region’s dominant Shia power, have been engaged in a long-running struggle for influence across the Middle East.