The U.S. military targeted locations in Iran on Tuesday following claims that Tehran attempted to attack commercial vessels and American forces in the Middle East, reigniting hostilities in an intermittent conflict spanning over six months.
The strikes by the U.S., along with earlier actions on Sunday, abruptly halted a month of military inactivity and risk fully resuming a conflict that has driven up global oil prices and created political challenges for Republicans ahead of the November midterm congressional elections. This escalation follows President Donald Trump's recent pivot toward using economic sanctions to influence Iran.
After U.S. Central Command announced the latest strikes, Trump warned on social media that if the "failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings."
Iranian state television reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas on Tuesday but offered no further details.
Both the U.S. and Iran seek influence over the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran's coast through which approximately 20% of the world's oil typically passes. Tehran had effectively closed this strait after the war commenced.
The Trump administration has maintained that targeting the correct economic points could bring Tehran to a breaking point. However, U.S. stockpiles of advanced weaponry have been decreasing, while the conflict remains unpopular among Americans and could jeopardize Republican standing in November's midterm elections.
A resumption of open fighting would pose dangers to the region, where Iran has targeted U.S. military bases and infrastructure in Gulf nations since the war began.
U.S. Central Command stated on Sunday that its forces struck rocket launchers intended for laying sea mines in the strait, while the U.S. military asserted Tuesday's strikes were a response to attempted attacks on ships in the strait and American personnel in the area.
Iran retaliated against Sunday's attacks by launching missiles at U.S. sites in Jordan, which were intercepted, and the United Arab Emirates reported stopping an Iranian drone over its waters. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Monday that further strikes might be necessary.
The American military has recently characterized the renewed fighting as limited, although Trump admitted on Monday that more strikes could be required.
In a statement posted on X on Monday, U.S. Central Command indicated that Sunday's attacks on Iranian targets were narrowly focused on preventing Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard forces from deploying new mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command stated, "U.S. forces took limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz. In essence, Iran created the threat and the U.S. military eliminated it to protect civilian mariners, commercial shipping, and the free flow of global commerce."
Central Command reiterated on Tuesday that its attacks followed Iranian aggression directed at commercial vessels and American troops in the region.