US Strikes Iran at Trump's Direction Amid Escalating Tensions

The U.S. has completed strikes it launched in Iran on Wednesday at President Donald Trump's direction, U.S. Central Command said.

The strikes were completed at 9:04 p.m. ET, CENTCOM said, adding it hit Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites. U.S. forces fired on Iranian targets that "posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters."

CENTCOM began "launching additional self-defense strikes today at 5:15 p.m. ET against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief's direction," according to its post on X. The strikes were "in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression," CENTCOM said.

Iranian state media reported that Iran had targeted U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz with missile and drone attacks. Later, Reuters reported that Iran's top military command completely closed the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any vessel attempting to cross would be targeted.

Trump later told Fox News that he spoke directly with Iranian officials, who he said asked him to stop the strikes. He said the bombing would stop shortly and that the Israelis were not involved in the strikes, but left the door open for further military action, according to Fox.

In response to a question about whether the ceasefire was over, Trump reportedly said that it was the most violated ceasefire in history.

The strikes come after Trump said earlier Wednesday that the U.S. would hit Iran "very hard" again, escalating his public threats as he pressed Tehran to sign a deal.

"We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them hard again today," Trump said at a White House signing event for the Secure America Act. "We're going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard."

Trump said Iran "should sign the deal" and said that the U.S. wants an agreement "that's meaningful and works."

"We'll see what happens with the deal," Trump said.

In response Wednesday afternoon, the head of the national security commission in Iran's parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, wrote that "this time, the war won't be limited to the region," in a post on X.

The comments come after Trump warned on Truth Social that Iran had taken too long to negotiate and would "pay the price" amid escalating military tensions between Washington and Tehran.

"Iran's Military is a complete and total mess," Trump wrote Wednesday morning. "Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn't even exist anymore — They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action."