The US military said on Wednesday that they had launched another round of strikes on Iran after the president Donald Trump said that more would come. Escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay a price” for stalling talks.
US Central Command said in a social media post that the military had struck “several targets in Iran” which were “in response to Iran’s unprovoked and sustained aggression”.
The second day of US strikes came hours after Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, where US troops are stationed, came under Iranian fire. It was the third time this week that mutual strikes have tested the two-month ceasefire. They also came a day after the US hit Iran following the crash of a military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic.
Trump has urged Iran to sign a deal to end the war and suggested earlier this week that a deal could be reached within days.
Iranian media reported that explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, Sirik and Minab in the south of the country.
Iran has proved resilient despite weeks of heavy bombing. You can bet that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz – an important route for oil and natural gas – gives it a strong bargaining chip.
Iran’s UN representative said the US must refrain from threats of force if it wants a deal.
“Iran has never negotiated under threats or pressure and will never yield to pressure or questions,” Ambassador Amir Saeed Irawani told the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
Still, both countries appear to be looking for a way to end the conflict — if they can sell it as a victory at home.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be pursuing goals that make compromise difficult: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the dismantling of its nuclear program and the destruction of Iran-allied Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. On Monday, Iran and Israel struck back at each other.
Trump says the US is putting oil through the Strait of Hormuz
Since the US and Israel went to war with attacks on Iran on February 28, the conflict has shaken the global economy, raised energy prices around the world and made food and other essentials more expensive.
International benchmark crude traded above $93 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the war began.
Trump said on Wednesday that the US military has been conducting a “secret mission” since last month to route oil supplies past Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the ships slipped through at night, which was facilitated by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment.
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As a result, Trump said, more than 100 million barrels of oil avoided Iran’s blockage in the strait. There was no immediate confirmation of the figure, which is roughly equivalent to a five-day supply of oil by waterway before the war began.
The role of the military was not immediately clear. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for Central Command, said U.S. forces were “communicating and coordinating actions” with commercial ships in the area, but did not elaborate on the military support being offered.
US and Iranian strikes rock the Middle East
Earlier on Wednesday, the US military said a US aircraft fired “precision munitions” into the engine room of the Palau-flagged vessel M/T Settebello as it attempted to break the maritime blockade with a shipment of Iranian oil. It was the eighth merchant vessel disabled by US forces in waters off Iran.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said three Indian sailors were missing after the Settebello ship was hit, while 21 others were rescued. The statement did not mention the US military or the blockade.
Hawkins of US Central Command said US forces warned the crew before firing on the ship.
The US military said the strikes were carried out earlier on Wednesday against “air defenses, ground control stations and surveillance radars”.
Iran said US strikes hit two reservoirs in the southern city of Sirik, temporarily cutting off water for thousands of people. US Central Command had no immediate comment.
Tehran later claimed responsibility for attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Jordan said it had shot down five missiles that Iran said were aimed at an air base that was home to US warplanes.
Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US attacks as a violation of Iran’s sovereignty. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said in televised comments that after the new attacks, Iran would reconsider its position in negotiations to end the war.
Efforts to broker a deal continued. After consultations with the US, a delegation from Qatar arrived in Tehran for talks on Wednesday, according to an official with knowledge of the visit who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
The exchange of fire came a day after a US Army attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz. The helicopter collided with an Iranian drone, according to a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. It is not yet clear whether the collision was intentional.
Two helicopter crews were rescued by a drone. Trump said they were not hurt.
Big differences stand in the way of a quick peace agreement
Fearing high gas prices ahead of November’s congressional elections, Trump appears to be looking for a quick win. But he also makes demands that Iran will find difficult to accept.
The US wants Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, uranium is a short technical step away from weapons-grade levels.
Iran refuses to give up uranium and demands the lifting of sanctions. He also wants to release frozen assets before a final deal is reached, which Trump has rejected.
It is not clear how these differences can be overcome. In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said Iran “took too long negotiating a deal” and “now they’re going to have to pay the price!!!”
Iran insists that any deal to end the war must also end hostilities between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Instead, Israel stepped up its military campaign against Lebanon-based militants.
An airstrike on a village east of Tire killed at least six people, Lebanon’s national news agency said. It said two others were killed when an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the southern city of Sidon.
Price reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Will Weisert in Washington; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Natalie Meltzer in Nagariya, Israel; David Rising in Bangkok; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Michelle L. Price in New York; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.