THE United States and Iran exchanged air and missile attacks for a second straight day on Thursday, as President Donald Trump warned of further strikes if Tehran fails to immediately agree to a peace deal, sharply escalating a conflict that has now spread across multiple regional theatres.
The latest violence follows a week of intensifying hostilities that began with the reported downing of a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, triggering a cycle of retaliatory strikes involving Iranian forces and US military positions across the region.
Reuters reported US Central Command saying its latest operations targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including surveillance systems, communications networks and air defence sites, describing the actions as a response to what it called Tehran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.”
Trump, speaking in a message relayed to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst and posted on X, indicated that US strikes could pause temporarily but warned they would resume with greater intensity if Iran refused to reach an agreement.
Oil markets reacted sharply to the escalation, with crude prices rising by nearly US$3 following Trump’s remarks and extending gains in Asian trading on Thursday as fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies intensified.
US Central Command said its latest strike wave concluded roughly four hours after it began shortly after midnight in Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched counter-attacks against 18 US military targets across airbases in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as against the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain. The IRGC also claimed it had struck the al-Azraq air base in Jordan for a second consecutive night, firing 12 ballistic missiles at the facility.
In Bahrain, authorities reported limited civilian injuries and property damage after debris from intercepted drones fell in residential areas of Hamad Town and Manama. The Interior Ministry said an 11-year-old girl sustained minor injuries.
Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace in response to Iranian missile activity, underscoring the widening regional disruption caused by the exchanges.
Iranian military leadership also issued warnings that it would target any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy shipping route. Iranian state-linked media claimed US vessels had come under fire, although this was denied by US officials.
US Central Command rejected claims that the Strait had been closed or that American ships had been struck, insisting commercial shipping continued despite Iranian threats.
Washington has also continued its own maritime operations, with US forces reporting strikes on a vessel in the Gulf of Oman accused of defying instructions while allegedly transporting Iranian oil. Indian authorities later confirmed that three missing crew members from the ship had died.
Further reports from Iranian media described explosions in several cities, including Bandar Abbas, Minab, Sirik, Kargan, Karaj and Varamin, as the conflict spread across the country.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the ongoing strikes, saying they were intended to pressure Tehran into negotiations while strengthening Washington’s strategic position.
“We will strike them hard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision,” he said. “If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs.”
The conflict, now in its fourth month despite an April ceasefire attempt, has repeatedly flared with reciprocal strikes, with diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting settlement so far failing to produce progress.
Trump has continued to insist that a deal is close, even as he threatens renewed bombing if talks collapse, while Iran has accused Washington of violating international law, including alleged strikes on civilian water infrastructure.
“This is not collateral damage - it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The prolonged conflict has already caused significant global economic disruption, affecting an estimated fifth of crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply and contributing to sustained price volatility.
The war has also become politically sensitive in Washington, with rising fuel costs contributing to declining approval ratings for Trump and concerns among some Republicans about electoral consequences ahead of upcoming congressional elections.
Separately, fighting continued in Lebanon, where Israeli airstrikes in the south reportedly killed at least 13 people, according to Lebanese security sources, while Hezbollah claimed further attacks on Israeli forces.
The Israeli military said unidentified projectiles landed near its troops operating in southern Lebanon, following air raid sirens in northern Israel.
Amid the wider regional crisis, Iran has demanded an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon, sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets, and recognition of its strategic position in the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington insists any agreement must include restrictions preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran denies. - June 11, 2026
