The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported early Wednesday that it had completed a fourth wave of strikes against Iran and announced the resumption of a naval blockade of Iranian ports and coasts, a measure that had been suspended during negotiations that produced the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. U.S. President Donald Trump declared that agreement ended.
In response, Iran launched new attacks on U.S. military bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Jordanian Army reported that its air defense systems intercepted and shot down three Iranian ballistic missiles, while Bahrain and Kuwait announced response operations.
Prior to the latest escalation, Trump warned he would order strikes on Iran’s strategic infrastructure if Tehran did not agree to negotiate a ceasefire. “We will put all their power plants out of action. We will put all their bridges out of action, unless they sit down at the table and negotiate,” he said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s traded oil and gas passes, will remain closed until U.S. military actions cease.
Below is minute-by-minute coverage:
Iran executed a man arrested during January protests
The Iranian regime executed on Wednesday a man accused of setting fire to government and police facilities during the protests against the Islamic Republic’s authorities that took place in January in Isfahan province, Mizan News, a media outlet linked to the judiciary, reported.
The report says Mohammad Amini Dehaghani was hanged after the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. Judicial authorities assert that on January 9 he threw Molotov cocktails at the Dehaghan governor’s office and the central police station, and incited others to attack officers.
Official information cites surveillance footage and the accused’s confessions. It also states that Amini Dehaghani attempted to use a rifle taken from police during the protests.
Oil rises again amid military escalation in the Middle East
U.S. benchmark crude (WTI) rose $0.86 to $80.20 per barrel, while Brent, the international benchmark, gained $1.15 to $85.88 per barrel.
On Tuesday, oil closed up 2% and reached a one-month high, driven by attacks that worsened supply concerns in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Brent and WTI have moved higher in line with the escalation of attacks, but the magnitude of the move is likely to moderate now as the market waits to see any change in posture from the U.S. and Iran,” said June Goh, senior oil market analyst at Sparta Commodities, in remarks to Reuters.
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US killed seven servicemen in strikes in southeastern Iran
The Iranian Army announced it will respond to the attack on the Bambour barracks in Iranshahr, calling it “a cowardly aggression.” “A decisive response will be delivered for this crime at the appropriate time,” the statement cited by Tasnim agency said.
According to the military, 13 U.S. missiles struck facilities in the Bambour barracks, killing seven members of the 388th Brigade and leaving several wounded. The Army said “passive defense measures” limited the number of casualties.
The statement asserted that the U.S. strikes “sought to cause the highest possible number of casualties,” targeting a guesthouse, guard posts and accommodation areas on the base.
Death confirmed of Indian sailor missing after attack off Oman
An Indian national who had been missing following the attack on the merchant ship GFS Galaxy off the coast of Oman has died, his father-in-law confirmed on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Of the 11 Indian crew members on board, 10 were rescued, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday.
Former Iranian foreign minister urged ground attack on a U.S. base and taking hostages
Former Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki proposed launching a ground offensive against a U.S. military base in the Middle East and taking hostages to bring them to Iranian territory.
“My proposal is to carry out a ground attack on one of the U.S. bases in the region, capture 100 Americans and bring them to Iran,” Mottaki, now a member of parliament, said.
Marco Rubio and the Jordanian foreign minister discussed Iranian attacks on ships in the Middle East
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he held a meeting with Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, to address regional security issues, including “the ongoing attacks by Iran against vessels and countries in the region.”
UN Security Council voted to continue monitoring Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
The UN Security Council approved a resolution extending the UN’s monitoring of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea for six months.
The measure passed with thirteen votes in favor and abstentions from China and Russia, and requires the UN secretary-general to submit monthly reports to the Council on the situation.
The Yemeni Houthi rebel group began attacks on vessels in the Red Sea in late 2023, saying it targeted ships linked to Israel in response to the conflict in Gaza.
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Vessels linked to Iran left the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. blockade
On Tuesday there was an increase in the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, most linked to Iranian trade, ahead of the U.S. blockade that was scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, according to maritime traffic data. Kpler’s records indicate that nine of the eleven ships that crossed the route that day used the Iranian route.
Among the vessels entering the strait were three empty tankers: one Aframax and two very large crude carriers. On the departures side, data show a VLCC carried 2 million barrels of crude oil, a medium tanker transported refined products, and two other vessels carried liquefied petroleum gas.
The commercial flow also included a tanker loaded with methanol and a bulk carrier with iron ore, both departing the Gulf on Tuesday.
The Jordanian Army said it shot down three missiles launched by Iran
The Jordanian Army reported that its air defense systems intercepted and shot down three ballistic missiles that entered Jordanian airspace from Iranian territory. In an official statement, authorities said Royal Engineers handled the debris from the missiles that fell in different locations, following established technical and safety protocols, and secured the affected areas to protect people and property.
“The Jordanian Armed Forces reject any violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty or the use of its airspace to threaten its security and stability,” the military said, adding that it maintains aerial surveillance at the highest level of readiness.
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard attacked Gulf countries after the CENTCOM operation
The Iranian Army announced early Wednesday new drone strikes against U.S. military installations in the Middle East amid the latest military escalation between Tehran and Washington. In a statement carried by Tasnim, a news agency linked to the Revolutionary Guard, the Al Azraq airbase in Jordan—where F-18 fighters, quarters and U.S. equipment depots were located—was attacked with drones.
The military defended the operation, named “Lightning,” and said “the era of slaps in the face is over and any action against the soil, waters and skies of this historic country will not go unanswered or without proportional cost.”
Additionally, the IRGC reported naval and Aerospace Force strikes on a U.S. depot at Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain and on U.S. drones at Ali al Salem base in Kuwait. According to the statement, “in a simultaneous operation with missiles and drones, Navy and Aerospace Force fighters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps destroyed several depots of weapons and spare parts for enemy ships and aircraft at Sheikh Isa base in Bahrain a few hours ago.”
The military report also said they “attacked the ramp used to deploy enemy MQ-9 drones at Ali al Salem base in Kuwait, destroying or damaging several of them.”
Iran: the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until “the evils of the United States end”
The Revolutionary Guard announced that the strategic waterway will remain closed until U.S. actions cease, in a statement released Tuesday. The military organization said the U.S. attacked Iranian bases “under the pretext of striking offending ships” that were attempting to transit the strait, “to hide its defeat and incapacity.”
The IRGC statement emphasized that “no ship dared to violate [the Iranian blockade] or to accompany the United States,” and added that, as a result, “there were naturally no impacts” during the operation.
White House: “Divisions in Iran demonstrate the success of Trump’s policy”
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said internal divisions among Iran’s leaders reflect the success of President Donald Trump’s policy toward Tehran. Miller made the comments in an interview with Fox News.
According to the U.S. official, Iranian leadership now faces “huge fissures the size of cannons” after decades of unity. Miller insisted that the United States urges Iran to back a peace program and abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Pezeshkian vowed to defend “every centimeter” of Iran amid renewed escalation with the US
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country will defend “every centimeter” of its territory amid rising tensions with the United States, after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed to have eliminated much of Iran’s military capabilities. “We will defend every centimeter of our homeland with our actions,” Pezeshkian said in an interview with state television.
The president’s remarks came in a context of growing hostilities, after the United States launched strikes in southern Iran following Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran launched missiles and drones at U.S. targets in the region.
“Their rhetoric continues, but the question is: have they achieved their objectives on the battlefield?” Pezeshkian challenged, referring to Trump’s statements and U.S. military actions.
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