The United States launched fresh military strikes against Iran early Thursday, ending a days-long pause in hostilities after Iranian-linked forces targeted a US military base in Jordan, plunging the two sides back into open conflict.
President Donald Trump vowed a major escalation, warning that Washington would strike Iran “very hard” in retaliation for the attack. “It’s our turn,” he said, framing the incoming operations as a direct response to the assault on American forces.
The renewed exchange follows a White House meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and marks a sharp reversal after mediators had voiced cautious optimism about returning both governments to the negotiating table.
US Central Command described the latest operations as “powerful” strikes carried out in response to an attack attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian state media reported that four Iranians were killed in joint US-Saudi strikes in Iraq, developments that analysts say have pushed the region into what they describe as “uncharted territory.”
The escalation comes amid a broader collapse of an interim agreement between the two sides, which unravelled amid renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for global oil supplies. Iran has rejected an Omani proposal for joint oversight of the strait, signalling little appetite for compromise as attacks intensify.
Earlier this week, Trump had signalled he was nearing a decision on large-scale action against Tehran, and the latest strikes represent a significant hardening of that posture.
Tehran has pushed back forcefully against Washington’s demands, and the exchange of fire over recent days has raised fears among experts of a return to all-out war. Both sides carried out strikes in the preceding 24 hours, further narrowing the space for de-escalation.
Regional mediators have continued efforts to restore calm and revive a ceasefire framework. A regional official quoted by the Associated Press said mediators were “still trying with both sides,” though offered no details on whether progress had been made.
The renewed conflict carries broad implications beyond the immediate combatants, given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz to global energy markets and the involvement of multiple regional actors, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
With diplomatic channels strained and military operations resuming on both sides, the coming days are expected to test whether mediators can prevent a wider regional confrontation or whether the exchange marks the start of a prolonged escalation.