US Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran, Hitting 90 Military Targets

The United States carried out a fresh round of airstrikes across Iran early Thursday, hitting about 90 military targets, including air defence systems, missile sites and naval infrastructure, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes came in response to Iran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on X, CENTCOM said US forces struck "approximately 90 Iranian military targets," including air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran's coastline. "The latest strikes follow successful execution of offensive strikes in Iran the night before," it added. The strikes marked a major escalation in the conflict and came hours after US President Donald Trump declared the fragile interim ceasefire with Iran was effectively "over." Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, while warning that further American attacks would trigger a wider regional response. The latest exchange of strikes has once again raised fears of a broader conflict in the Gulf and renewed concerns over disruptions to one of the world's most important energy corridors.

According to the US military, the operation was aimed at "further degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz." The operation followed Iranian attacks on merchant vessels near Oman earlier this week. Washington said the latest strikes targeted military installations and maritime infrastructure linked to Iran's operations around the strategic waterway.

Iranian state media reported explosions across several parts of the country as US missiles struck military and port-related targets.The affected locations included:

Bushehr, home to Iran's nuclear power plant complex

Chabahar

Konarak

Bandar Abbas

Sirik

Golestan province in northeastern Iran

Iran's port at Kuhestak

Iranshahr Airport

State media also reported explosions near Aqqala, where a railway bridge was allegedly hit in one of the deepest strikes inside Iran since the latest round of fighting began. Videos circulating online showed smoke rising from multiple locations following the attacks.

Several videos emerging from Iran captured the scale of the latest bombardment. One video showed smoke billowing from Iran's port at Kuhestak in Hormozgan province after the strikes, Reuters reported. Another showed damage to the maritime control tower in Chabahar. Mohammad Saeed Arbabi, head of the Chabahar Free Zone Organisation, confirmed the facility had been "targeted and damaged", CNN reported. Separately, Iranian media reported that a firefighter was killed after a US strike hit Iranshahr Airport, damaging the airport's operations building and weather station. Video footage captured the moment US airstrikes hit Chabahar city in southern Iran overnight, with the attacks reportedly targeting an air and naval base operated by IRGC.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on American military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. In a statement carried by state television, the Guards said they had struck "key infrastructure and facilities" at US bases in Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain. The IRGC warned that attacks would expand to other US military bases across the region if Washington launched more strikes. Air raid sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. Kuwait's military said it intercepted incoming drones and missiles. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

Speaking after leaving a Nato summit, Trump said recent Iranian attacks on shipping had effectively ended the interim ceasefire. "For me, I think it's over," Trump said when asked about the status of the agreement. "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he added. Trump also posted videos of explosions inside Iran on social media and warned Tehran against any further attacks. "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" Earlier, Trump had suggested the fighting would not necessarily become a prolonged conflict. "Anything that happens is going to happen very fast." He added that the US military could "just finish the job." The president also renewed earlier threats to target Iran's civilian infrastructure, including power plants, desalination facilities and the oil export hub at Kharg Island.

Despite declaring the ceasefire effectively finished, Trump claimed Iran was still eager to negotiate. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he said, "We have already won militarily. They have very little left... They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don't know if they're worthy of making a deal. I don't know that they're going to honour the deal." Asked whether Iran's attacks on commercial ships cast doubt on its intentions, Trump replied, "They are sort of crazy... They're a little bit out of control. But they want to make a deal. Badly." He also claimed the latest US military response had been overwhelmingly stronger than Iran's. "We just hit them very hard, and I say we hit them 20-to-1 -- every time they hit us, we're going to hit them 20... When they hit, we hit back much harder."

Iranian leaders strongly condemned the American strikes. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned US against further military action saying, "America still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free." "Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you'll get hit," he added. Ghalibaf also insisted that future navigation through the Strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian control. "The Strait of Hormuz will only open with Iranian arrangements, not American threats." Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also criticised Trump's rhetoric. "Addressing the Civilized and Courageous Nation of Iran with derogatory language does not diminish its Greatness," he said. "We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valor," he added. Negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent settlement were expected to begin after the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening days of the conflict in February. The talks were expected to focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear programme. However, the latest round of strikes has cast fresh uncertainty over those negotiations, with both sides hardening their positions even as diplomatic channels technically remain open.