US Launches Extensive Strikes on Iran After Missile Attacks, Triggering Regional Alerts

On Thursday afternoon, air raid sirens sounded in Jordan, likely due to missile launches from Iran. Concurrently, Iranian media reported that the nuclear facility in Bushehr was hit by a US strike. Overnight, the US military conducted its most extensive attacks on Iran since the ceasefire, targeting approximately 90 sites including air defense units, missile and drone storage, naval assets, and military infrastructure along Iran's coastline. For the first time since the war ended, two bridges in Iran were also struck, including one in Golestan province critical for trade with Russia and China.

Iran retaliated by firing on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, with reports of 14 Iranian fatalities and 78 wounded. Iranian officials, including Deputy Foreign Minister and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that US actions would not go unanswered and emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz would only reopen under Iranian terms. The US Central Command stated the strikes aimed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the vital waterways.

US President Donald Trump linked the attacks to prior Iranian assaults on commercial vessels and warned of harsher responses if such incidents recur. Despite threats, Trump also noted Iran's interest in negotiating a deal. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant canceled their attendance at a national security event due to a last-minute security discussion. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin postponed a planned visit to Israel to focus on approving strike plans against Iran.

The US strikes followed Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with over 60 small vessels of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted. Iran condemned the US actions as violations of agreements and vowed decisive retaliation. The Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit 85 US targets in Bahrain and Kuwait and downed an American MQ-9 drone. Kuwait condemned the attacks and reserved the right to defend itself. Sirens were also reported in Bahrain shortly after the strikes. Israeli defense forces remain on alert but do not anticipate escalation beyond the Gulf region at this stage.