The United States and Iran have resumed heavy strikes with a new series of air and missile attacks, triggered after the Monday downing of an American Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
Operations have been ongoing for two days, with Washington pressing militarily to force Tehran into an agreement and Iran responding by striking US bases in the region and threatening to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
As reported by the New York Times, these hostile acts risk completely collapsing the fragile truce signed in April, bringing the two countries dangerously close to a large-scale war.
The trigger: the downing of the Apache
The spark that reopened hostilities was lit on Monday, when, as highlighted by the Guardian, Iran shot down a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Trump administration called the incident a direct hostile act, while Iranian sources downplayed it, referring to a possible accident.
This event broke weeks of relative calm under a truce that, as noted by the BBC, increasingly resembled more a “reduced truce” than a true ceasefire.
In the following hours, the United States launched retaliatory raids, to which Tehran responded by striking American targets in the Gulf region.
American raids on Iranian coasts
Last night and during the night between yesterday and today, the United States conducted a new and intense wave of attacks against targets in southern Iran.
According to the New York Times, the explosions were concentrated mainly in Hormozgan province: Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Minab, and the vicinity of Qeshm Island were hit.
As reported by Bloomberg, the US Central Command (Centcom) explained that it targeted military surveillance sites, communication systems, and air defense positions.
President Donald Trump revealed to a Fox News journalist that 49 Tomahawk missiles were launched, in addition to bombings carried out by fighter jets.
As reported by the Guardian, US Secretary of War Hegseth said that the US bombs “would have fallen on key structures in Iran.”
Among the targets hit, according to the New York Times, were also two drinking water tanks near Sirik, leaving over twenty thousand people without supply in an area where temperatures often exceed 35-40 degrees Celsius. Iran called it a “calculated war crime,” an accusation echoed by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.
The Iranian response
Tehran was quick to respond. It launched two waves of attacks against American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, which as Associated Press reminds, hosts the US Fifth Fleet command, also announcing missile launches against a base in Jordan.
As emphasized by NPR, Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace and alarm sirens sounded in Bahrain.
The Revolutionary Guards claimed to have “destroyed” eighteen important targets, although these claims have not received independent confirmation.
As reported by Reuters, the Pasdaran stated that the Al-Azraq airbase in Jordan was targeted with 12 ballistic missiles “to punish the aggressor,” adding that the attack “destroyed those facilities and a large number of combat aircraft. The operations of the warriors of Islam will continue as long as the enemy’s evil actions continue.”
The US military said instead that almost all Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted, with no immediate reports of US casualties or damage to its facilities and equipment.
Iran then declared all navigation through the Strait of Hormuz closed, including oil tankers, warning that any attempt to pass would be considered hostile.
But the US Central Command denied a total closure, stating that commercial traffic continues. Oil prices nevertheless rose, with Brent around 94-95 dollars per barrel.
The words of Trump and Hegseth: “We negotiate with bombs”
The United States did not hide its pressure strategy. “If we have to negotiate with bombs, we will,” said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, as reported by the Financial Times.
Trump reiterated that the attacks will continue: “We hit hard yesterday and we will hit hard today as well,” the president stated, according to Reuters.
However, the White House chief also left diplomatic openings: he said he had spoken directly with Iranian officials who asked him to stop the bombings, implying that a pause is possible if Tehran quickly capitulates and signs an agreement.
The declared goal remains to obtain an agreement that fully reopens the strait, limits Iran’s nuclear program, and leads to lasting peace.
Tehran’s position
On the Iranian side, the tone remained firm and threatening. General Majid Mousavi, commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace forces, warned that the United States is making the Strait of Hormuz unsafe and that Iran is ready to turn the entire region into “a hell.”
As highlighted by Axios, President Masoud Pezeshkian called the attacks on civilian infrastructure a sign of desperation, while the Foreign Ministry accused Washington of undermining the diplomatic process with contradictory messages.
According to the BBC, Iranian military leaders seem willing to test their strength, while declaring themselves open to a negotiated solution provided it respects their “red lines,” including maintaining control over the strait and easing sanctions.
Meanwhile, Arab foreign ministers met condemning Iranian actions and calling for an immediate end to hostilities.
For its part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the ceasefire has shattered and that the risk of a return to open war is real.
