Washington, United States. The United States launched fresh strikes in Iran on Wednesday, the US military said, intensifying a five-month-old conflict that has spread beyond its main fronts to involve more countries in the region.
US Central Command said the operation began at 8:00 p.m. ET, or 0000 GMT, and described it as a response to attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East.
US response
“The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East,” US Central Command said in a statement.
Earlier on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the United States would retaliate against Iran for firing on US troops.
“So it’s our turn,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that Washington would “hit them very hard” while continuing to seek a peace deal with Tehran.
Incidents in Egypt, Iraq and Jordan
Earlier on Wednesday, a drone struck a US-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta, according to an initial assessment by British maritime security firm Ambrey.
Egypt’s petroleum ministry confirmed that a fire had broken out at the port but did not mention a drone attack. Responsibility for the incident was not immediately clear.
US and Saudi forces also launched strikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq, while Iran fired missiles at US troops in Jordan.
Strait of Hormuz tensions
Iran confirmed overnight that it had fired on US bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. It also rejected an Omani proposal for joint management of the strait, a major global shipping route for oil and gas.
The latest developments in Iraq and Egypt raised the prospect of further regional involvement after the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia last week.
The war began in February, when the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that Trump said would last only a few weeks. A temporary ceasefire reached in June later collapsed amid renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran says it now controls.