The United States military has carried out what it described as a “heavy wave of strikes” against Iran, marking a major escalation in the ongoing conflict after Tehran launched attacks targeting American positions in Jordan.
The latest exchange of fire has ended a nearly week-long lull in hostilities and deepened fears that the conflict could expand further across the Middle East. The renewed violence has also involved Iran-aligned armed groups in the region, reducing hopes for a swift return to diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran.
US President Donald Trump had earlier warned that Iran would face a strong response following the missile attacks on US bases in Jordan. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) later confirmed that American forces had carried out a large-scale operation targeting dozens of sites linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to CENTCOM, the strikes hit a range of military facilities, including command and control centers, missile and drone infrastructure, coastal monitoring locations, and maritime-related assets.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported that several locations in the southwestern Khuzestan province were struck, along with areas on Qeshm Island in the Gulf. Authorities said cities including Abadan, Shadegan, Arvandkenar, and Ahvaz were among those affected.
The widening conflict has also drawn in other regional actors. Saudi Arabia and the United States carried out strikes against militant positions in Iraq, while Israel accused the Iran-backed Hezbollah group of violating a ceasefire agreement.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, said it had faced two consecutive days of drone attacks against energy facilities, blaming armed groups allied with Tehran. Jordan’s military also announced that it had intercepted five Iranian missiles after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for targeting US bases in the country.
Iran’s leadership has vowed to continue resisting what it calls foreign aggression. Iranian officials said that as long as threats against the Islamic Republic remain, their response will continue.
Meanwhile, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have remained high. Israel accused Hezbollah of sending a drone toward an Israeli vehicle operating inside Lebanon, describing the incident as a serious breach of the existing ceasefire arrangement.
Although Israel fought alongside the United States during the early stages of the conflict with Iran and continued operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, it has not participated in the latest US strikes against Iranian targets.
In Iraq, the joint US-Saudi military operation followed attacks on Saudi energy facilities that Riyadh blamed on Iran-linked militias. The US military said its strikes targeted weapons storage areas and logistical facilities belonging to groups aligned with Tehran.
The Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), reported that at least 20 of its members were killed in the strikes. The group condemned the operation as a dangerous escalation against what it described as an official Iraqi security organization.
Two officials from the alliance said Iranian military advisers were among those killed, with images from the aftermath showing coffins covered with Iranian flags.
The PMF was formed in 2014 during Iraq’s fight against extremist groups and was later incorporated into the country’s security structure. However, several factions within the alliance maintain close ties with Iran and have been accused of operating independently from the Iraqi government.
The latest developments highlight the growing complexity of the Middle East conflict, with multiple countries and armed groups becoming increasingly involved as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to rise.
