U.S. Hits Targets in Iran for Second Straight Night, Trump Says More Bombing Possible If No Deal

The U.S. military struck a series of targets in Iran overnight, between Wednesday and Thursday, for the second night in a row, after President Donald Trump explicitly threatened to attack the Islamic Republic again. The wave of strikes lasted about four hours, and at its conclusion U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had hit military surveillance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites across Iran. "U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy forces fired precision munitions at Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial ships in the region," it said. According to the CENTCOM statement, the strikes were carried out in response to Iran's "unjustified and ongoing aggression." Iranian media reported a series of explosions and blasts in several locations across the Islamic Republic, and air defense systems were activated in the Tehran area, in Fars province in the south of the country and in the city of Karaj in the north. For now, there is no clear picture of the scope of the strikes or the damage.

About two hours after the strikes began, Trump told Fox News in an interview that American fighter jets were operating in Iranian airspace, and that he had spoken directly with Iranian officials, who asked him to "stop the bombing." He said that "the bombings will stop soon," but added that if Iran does not sign the deal the U.S. wants, "we'll blow them to pieces again tomorrow night." Trump also said Israel was not involved in the current wave of strikes, and added that the U.S. had launched 49 Tomahawk missiles at targets in Iran, alongside strikes carried out by American fighter jets. Iran denied contacting Trump, and a senior official in the country told state media that his "false claim" of contact with Iranian officials was intended as "cover to avoid war against Iran." At the same time, Iran's military threatened that the armed forces would deliver a "crushing and decisive response to any American aggression in the region." The Revolutionary Guards later announced that they had attacked American bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. One statement said that in "two waves of attack, 18 key U.S. military targets" were hit at the Ali al-Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber bases in Kuwait, and at the Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain. Iranian state media also reported an attack on the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. According to the Revolutionary Guards, the strikes were carried out in response to American attacks on the organization's facilities, coastal positions, command sites of the police and the airport area in Bandar Abbas.

Later, the Revolutionary Guards also announced that they had launched 12 ballistic missiles at American aircraft and key military facilities at al-Zarqa Air Base in Jordan, including its command and control center. Kuwait announced the temporary closure of its airspace following the strikes. "Flights that were on their way to Kuwait were diverted to other destinations," it said. According to reports in Iran, explosions were heard in the country, including on the islands of Kish and Qeshm, in the Bandar Abbas area, near the airport and the air base, in Sirik port and in the city of Minab, and air defenses were also activated in the city of Asalouyeh in the south of the country. The IRNA news agency reported that the explosions in Qeshm and Hengam were caused by shell or missile impacts. By contrast, the Tasnim news agency claimed there were no explosions on the islands of Kish and Qeshm, and that the sounds heard there were related to exchanges of fire in the gulf. According to the reports, two residents were wounded by shrapnel in the strikes in the city of Karghan in Hormozgan province in southern Iran. Later in the night, another wave of explosions was reported in the cities of Ashtard, Abeyek, Varamin and Karaj, all in the area near Tehran, as well as in Sirik near the Strait of Hormuz, and on the "oil island" of Kharg. Iran also reported that a water reservoir in the town of Bamani in the south of the country was struck. The Tasnim news agency reported that the U.S. had struck a petrochemical plant at the South Pars gas field in Asalouyeh, but shortly afterward it retracted the report and denied having reported it. Iranian state television reported that air defense systems were activated around the energy facility in the area. The Iranian Mehr news agency reported "naval exchanges of fire" between Iranian and American forces, and state media claimed that American ships near the Strait of Hormuz were attacked with missiles and drones launched by the Iranian military. The U.S. Central Command later denied that American warships had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid the escalation, the emergency headquarters of the Iranian armed forces, Khatam al-Anbiya, announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed "from this moment on" to all types of vessels, including tankers and commercial ships, because of "insecurity in the area." According to Iran's statement, any vessel that tries to pass through will be attacked. U.S. Central Command also denied that claim, and said commercial vessels continued to enter and exit the Strait of Hormuz overnight. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Guards navy told media in the country that it had attacked two ships that tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Force, Majid Mousavi, threatened after the American strikes that Tehran would "turn the entire region into hell." In a statement published by IRNA, Mousavi said, "You are making the sacred Strait of Hormuz unsafe? We will turn the entire region into hell from all across Iran. This is the response to America's aggression in the region."

Axios reported, before the strikes began, that Trump held a meeting overnight in the White House Situation Room in which he discussed further attacks against Iran. According to the report, one option Trump examined was a large-scale but short-lived operation intended to pressure Iran to change its position in negotiations. The Situation Room meeting was attended by Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, envoy Steve Witkoff and other officials. After the meeting, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said that "CENTCOM will be busy tonight. The U.S. will strike Iran hard, and bomb key facilities there." He added that the goal is ultimately to reach an agreement and not renew the war. "President Trump is ready to go back and fight if necessary, but he has also extended an open hand to Iran to reach a deal. The opportunity is there. They have that chance. They are choosing to play games. They are choosing to drag things out. And if they want to drag things out, then the president will turn to the War Department," Hegseth said.

Meanwhile, Israel is following the exchange of blows between the U.S. and Iran. Israel is indeed on alert and preparing for a resumption of fighting if Iran launches missiles at Israel in response to an American attack, but security officials assess that the Iranians will not fire missiles at Israel so as not to give it justification to attack Iran. In any case, there is no change at this time in Home Front Command instructions. An Israeli security source said last night that "Trump is raising the bar. I assume that soon, if no agreement is signed, he will return to war. But in the meantime he is increasing pressure on the Iranians with the thought that this will get Mojtaba Khamenei to give a positive answer to his proposal. But from how it looks, the Iranians are dragging things out and Trump is losing patience and becoming frustrated. In any case, we are prepared for a resumption of fighting." Despite the assessment that Iran will not fire missiles at Israel, Israel is also preparing for such a possibility, since Trump is unpredictable and could order a very broad strike.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported overnight that the chances of a diplomatic breakthrough between the U.S. and Iran had diminished after a Qatari mediation delegation left Tehran without progress in the talks. The Qatari delegation arrived in Iran as part of the mediation efforts, but according to the report it left the country without a breakthrough. CNN, however, reported at the same time that the Qatari mediators were still in Iran. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad also called on American citizens in Iraq to remain vigilant, following "recent regional developments."

Iran: This time it will not be limited to the region

Meanwhile, the level of threats continues to rise from Iran as well. Before the strikes began, Tasnim quoted a "military source" as saying that Iranian forces were ready for any scenario overnight. That source added that Iran would strike new U.S. "interests" if the Americans acted. The chairman of the National Security Committee in the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, wrote last night on X: "We are not afraid to fight losers. The number of American casualties is much higher than Trump admits and it will only rise. This time the war will not be limited to the region." He ended the post with the words "Let's see what happens," a phrase Trump often uses to describe the situation with Iran. At the same time, Iran's ambassador to the UN, Saeed Iravani, said that "an agreement cannot be reached through threats, intimidation or the use of force." According to him, "Iran has never negotiated under threats and will never surrender to pressure or coercion."

According to the assessment in Israel, Iran will not sign an agreement with the Americans and will continue to toy with the Trump administration. Jerusalem's preferred option is the renewal of the war and the implementation of the strikes Trump halted in the Islamic Republic. By the way, Trump himself also spoke of striking bridges and power stations, but so far the American president has also restrained Israel regarding those targets. The Americans believe another strike might shake the Iranians and make them say yes. But in Israel's view, the Iranians are only sensing weakness and think Trump does not want to return to fighting. In any case, even if Tehran agrees to the wording of a deal, it would still be a temporary agreement that gives them another 60 days of ceasefire and is not really an agreement that ends the conflict.

"Only because of us were you not eliminated"

Meanwhile, more details continue to emerge about the tense negotiations between Iran and the U.S. through Pakistani mediation. According to information obtained by the French newspaper Le Figaro, what is delaying a settlement is the way Iran is conducting the negotiations, and in particular the inability to communicate directly with the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. According to the French report, when Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, arrived in Iran for a two-day visit on May 22, he held a tense meeting with Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi. According to a Le Figaro source, before the visit began it was agreed that the Pakistani army chief would be able to meet with Mojtaba Khamenei to finalize the details of the emerging agreement between Washington and Tehran. But when Asim Munir asked Vahidi when he could meet Khamenei's son, the Revolutionary Guards commander replied that this was not possible because the supreme leader was still suffering from injuries. According to the report, the tone of the conversation rose, and Pakistan's army chief even reminded his interlocutor that he was not eliminated by the U.S. or Israel only thanks to Islamabad's efforts.

Regarding the series of military incidents between the U.S. and Iran, including the downing of the Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, security analysts told the Wall Street Journal that this may indicate a change in Iran's defense doctrine, under which the Revolutionary Guards give field commanders a high degree of freedom, allowing them to make operational decisions independently without receiving approval from headquarters in Tehran. Through this change, Iran seeks to reestablish deterrence against the U.S. and Israel. At the same time, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, a group of hard-line leaders within the Iranian leadership, together with those pushing for more aggressive responses, also hope not to be dragged again into a full military confrontation. According to Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs: "A very fragile situation has been created. The pattern on the Iranian side is to keep the escalation below a certain threshold, and that threshold is the killing of American soldiers and personnel during the ceasefire."