The United States launched a new wave of airstrikes against Iran overnight Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump promised a forceful response to an Iranian missile attack targeting American forces in Jordan.
A senior US official confirmed the renewed strikes but did not immediately disclose their scale, targets, or expected duration. Heavy American aerial-refueling activity was reported across the region shortly before the bombing began.
Trump told Fox News that the United States would hit Iran “hard,” adding that Tehran was “going to get a beating.” In a separate, more explicit remark, he said he intended to “beat the [expletive] out of Iran” in response to the attack on US forces.
US Central Command said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched several ballistic missiles toward an American base in Jordan on Wednesday. US and Jordanian defenses reportedly intercepted the missiles, and no American casualties were immediately announced.
Iran later acknowledged firing at the US base, describing the attack as retaliation for Washington’s military enforcement of restrictions around Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz.
US and Saudi Arabia Strike Militias in Iraq
The escalation extended beyond Iran as American and Saudi forces carried out rare joint strikes against Iran-backed militia sites in Iraq.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 others wounded. The organization condemned the operation as a dangerous escalation and a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.
Saudi Arabia said the strikes followed drone attacks launched from Iraqi territory against petroleum facilities near Riyadh and in the kingdom’s Eastern Province.
“The Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces,” the Saudi Defense Ministry said.
Iran condemned the attacks, accusing the United States and Israel of attempting to expand the war across the region. Tehran pledged continued support for its Iraqi allies and warned that Washington and its partners would bear responsibility for the consequences.
Tehran Denies Seeking Negotiations
Iranian officials also rejected Trump’s repeated claim that Tehran is urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran had made no request for negotiations with Washington during the previous 16 or 17 days.
Tehran continues to demand a new arrangement governing the Strait of Hormuz, including recognition of its authority to regulate shipping through the strategic waterway. Iran reportedly rejected an Omani proposal for joint regional management of the strait as unworkable.
A US official disputed the Iranian position, saying Washington would not accept tolls or passage fees imposed by Tehran.
Trump nevertheless insisted during a telephone rally that Iran wanted an agreement “so badly” and predicted that the conflict would end with Tehran signing a deal.
Netanyahu and Trump Discuss Iran Options
The renewed strikes came one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump at the White House.
According to Israeli officials, Trump is considering three principal options: reaching a nuclear agreement, intensifying the economic blockade, or launching further military strikes.
Israeli officials said they emphasized the desired outcome rather than recommending a specific course of action. They also expressed serious doubts that Iran could be trusted to honor a new nuclear agreement.
Israel reportedly assesses that Iran retains roughly 1,500 to 1,600 missiles after Israeli operations destroyed substantial portions of its production capacity. Israeli officials also said they had no current evidence that uranium enrichment was taking place at the deeply fortified Pickaxe Mountain facility.
The White House had not released a detailed account of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting as of early Thursday.
With Iranian attacks continuing against US-linked targets and Gulf energy infrastructure, the latest strikes appear to have ended the brief pause that followed nearly two weeks of sustained fighting.
