The United States Armed Forces launched a new round of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, adding that the operation was ordered by President Donald Trump.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said, “At 3:00 p.m. ET, U.S. forces conducted operations for a second wave of strikes today against Iran.”
The military command said the strikes targeted Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important international shipping lane.
CENTCOM also stated that “the U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the direction of the commander in chief,” referring to President Trump.
The new offensive came hours after Washington confirmed it had reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and reported diverting two commercial ships that, according to the Pentagon, attempted to evade U.S. restrictions.
Since operations resumed, the conflict has spread across multiple fronts in the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported attacks on U.S. Fifth Fleet positions in Bahrain, Bahraini authorities said they intercepted projectiles aimed at civilian targets, and Jordan reported its air defenses shot down three missiles launched by Iran toward its territory.
Tensions also rose in northern Iraq, where explosions occurred overnight near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Authorities have not reported casualties or detailed the extent of the incidents.
At the same time, President Trump intensified his rhetoric toward Tehran and warned the military campaign could expand in the coming days if Iran does not return to negotiations. During an interview with Fox News he said the situation “will be very bad for them” next week if there is no change.
Despite the escalation, diplomatic channels remain partially open. However, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament and the regime’s chief negotiator, said the memorandum of understanding with Washington was no longer valid after the U.S. reinstated the naval blockade.
“A memorandum of understanding only has meaning when its provisions are valid and implemented. If Iran receives no benefit from the agreement, we have no reason to respect it,” he said.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the central focus of the confrontation. Iran again restricted transit through the waterway after accusing the United States of failing to honor agreed commitments, and the U.S. responded with new military operations and renewed maritime restrictions on Iranian ports.
CENTCOM said the strikes aim to reduce the regime’s military capacity to threaten commercial shipping. State-run Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Bandar Imam Khomeini and later in Bushehr, where Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant is located.
The conflict has started to affect civilians and regional maritime traffic. A Norwegian tanker suffered an explosion off the coast of Oman caused by an undetermined device, and Kuwait reported one of its naval vessels was hit during an Iranian missile and drone attack, leaving four crew members wounded.
President Trump also said he would not impose a previously proposed 20% levy on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he said he plans to pursue trade and investment agreements with U.S. allies in the Gulf.
According to Iranian authorities, the U.S. strikes resumed last week have killed at least 30 civilians, while Iran’s Armed Forces reported seven service members were killed during Wednesday’s attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would respond “forcefully” if Iran extends attacks to Israeli territory.