US launches new attacks on Iran as Tehran targets Gulf sites

What Happened

US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched a 90-minute wave of strikes on Iranian military targets on Wednesday evening, hitting command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities in Bandar Abbas and on Greater Tunb island. Explosions were reported across Iran, including Qeshm island, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak, Rask, Khondab, Khorramabad, and Semnan. The IRGC claimed it shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk. Iranian authorities said there were no casualties at Parchin military complex or in Semnan, though state media noted minor damage to a civilian airport and a storage facility there. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone attacks against US military assets in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, claiming strikes on Patriot batteries and fuel tanks at Ali Al Salem Air Base, communications and Super Hawk radar at Sheikh Isa Air Base, and a fighter jet storage ramp and command centre at al-Azraq Air Base. Kuwait reported intercepting four cruise missiles and 21 drones, while Jordan intercepted eight Iranian missiles. Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 35 people have been killed and more than 300 injured since fighting resumed last week. Separately, CENTCOM disabled the Curacao-flagged tanker M/T Belma with Hellfire missiles after it ignored warnings and attempted to breach a US blockade on the way to Kharg Island.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the US-Iran conflict, spilling over into multiple Gulf states and directly threatening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy transit. It tests the durability of the fragile April ceasefire and risks drawing Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan deeper into the conflict. Trump’s threat to target civilian infrastructure signals a potentially unprecedented expansion of military operations, raising the spectre of a full-scale regional war.

Watch For

Whether the US proceeds with strikes on civilian infrastructure as Trump suggested; further tanker interceptions or attacks in the Strait of Hormuz; official reactions from Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and the UN Security Council; any resumption of Oman-mediated talks or moves toward a new ceasefire; and the IAEA’s assessment of damage to nuclear-related sites like Khondab.