The United States military launched strikes against targets belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Tuesday, marking a new escalation in the ongoing confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
US Central Command said the strikes came in response to recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed across the region.
Multiple explosions were reported around Iran’s Qeshm Island and near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state television said more than five explosions were heard near the village of Mesen on Qeshm Island, while four additional explosions were reported from the direction of the strategic waterway.
Trump Warns Iran of a Stronger Response
US President Donald Trump described the strikes as “large and powerful,” saying they were carried out in retaliation for what he described as an Iranian attempt to place sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Iran’s reported missile attack on a US military base in Jordan.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that Iran would face an even stronger response if it retaliated against the latest US strikes.
Iranian state television, meanwhile, reported that several people attending a wedding were wounded in a US strike in southern Iran. According to the report, the attack hit a residential area in Bandar Kuhestak in Sirik County.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi warned Washington that it would “regret its new attacks,” adding that what he described as “severe punishment” awaited the attackers.
Iran Announces Retaliatory Operation
Iranian news agency Tasnim later reported that a “decisive operation” by Iran’s armed forces had begun in response to the US strikes, claiming that American bases and interests across the region were being targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.
The latest escalation follows US strikes over the weekend against Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island. Washington said the operation was aimed at preventing Iran from deploying sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
Iran subsequently launched missile and drone attacks toward locations in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, saying the strikes targeted US forces in the region.
The rapid exchange of attacks has raised fears of a broader regional confrontation, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a key flashpoint amid growing tensions between the United States and Iran.
