WASHINGTON/CAIRO: The United States and Iran have resumed heavy attacks after weeks of relative calm, with both sides exchanging strikes and issuing fresh threats of escalation, raising concerns that the conflict could enter a more dangerous phase.
The US military’s Central Command said it carried out a new wave of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets on Tuesday, including air defence and radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities.
Iranian media reported attacks on several targets across the country, many of them near the Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has threatened oil tankers attempting to pass through the strategic waterway without authorisation.
Iran, meanwhile, claimed it had launched attacks against US assets in Jordan and Iraq, while Iranian media also reported strikes targeting Bahrain.
The IRGC claimed that its attacks had killed a number of US personnel in Jordan and at US bases in Erbil, northern Iraq. However, two US officials said initial assessments showed no American casualties. Jordanian authorities said their air defences intercepted 10 of 13 ballistic missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace, while three landed in remote areas. Bahrain also reported intercepting Iranian drones.
The latest exchange marked the first major combat between the two sides since July, ending a period of relative calm during which neither side appeared ready to resume negotiations.
The pause had come as the prolonged conflict placed growing pressure on both countries. Iran’s already fragile economy has suffered further damage, while its conventional military capabilities have been significantly weakened. The United States, meanwhile, has faced rising fuel prices and concerns over its stockpile of long-range precision missiles following sustained military operations.
US President Donald Trump struck a defiant tone, saying Washington was now in a stronger position and claiming near-total control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, in turn, warned the United States and countries cooperating with its military that continued attacks would trigger broader and more severe retaliation.
“We warn that the continuation of American aggression in the region will be met with heavier, more widespread and devastating responses,” Iran’s joint military command said.
The renewed fighting has also raised fresh concerns over civilian casualties. The Iranian Red Crescent said five people were killed and dozens wounded when a wedding near Sirik, a coastal area close to the Strait of Hormuz, was reportedly hit. Iranian media put the number of wounded as high as 68, with a four-year-old child among those reported killed.
US officials have not yet commented on the reported incident.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, linking it to a series of previous incidents during the conflict. It also referred to an earlier blast at a girls’ school in Minab that reportedly killed 160 people.
The Pentagon has not issued a final determination on the Minab incident, although sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the strike may have resulted from the use of outdated targeting data.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry vowed to respond firmly and warned governments and international organisations against remaining silent over what it described as attacks on civilians.
The latest escalation has effectively ended the fragile lull in hostilities and increased the risk of a wider regional confrontation, particularly around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Story by Reuters
