The U.S. military launched a massive wave of airstrikes against Iran on Saturday night, striking approximately 140 targets in retaliation for an Iranian assault on a commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The operation marks the third time this week that American forces have struck Iranian territory, triggering an immediate chain reaction of counterattacks across the Middle East as Tehran fired salvos at U.S. allies and regional military hubs.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the American strikes began at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time using naval vessels, fighter jets, and drones. The operation targeted Iranian missile and drone sites, naval assets, ammunition warehouses, communication nodes, and coastal surveillance networks. Added to earlier operations this week, the U.S. has hit more than 300 sites in Iran.
“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Following the launch of the operation, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media, “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”
The U.S. actions were prompted by an earlier attack by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The strike crippled the vessel, causing severe engine room damage and a fire that forced the civilian crew to abandon the ship in lifeboats. The Indian foreign ministry confirmed that 11 of its nationals were on board a vessel struck east of Oman; 10 were rescued, while one Indian sailor remains missing.
Prior to the U.S. retaliation, Iran’s official IRGC media outlet, Sepah News, stated it had fired warning shots at a “violating ship” and declared the Strait of Hormuz closed “until further notice.” Following the U.S. response, the IRGC announced it had struck a second vessel for violating regulations and launched immediate missile and drone counterattacks against U.S. bases and regional partners.
Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates defense ministry confirmed its air defenses were actively intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones. Qatar also reported intercepts, noting that three people, including one child, were injured by falling missile debris. Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the barrages against its territory and neighbors as a “dangerous escalation.”
Iranian state media reported that the IRGC utilized several ballistic missiles to demolish the command and control center and MQ-9 drone hangars at the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. forces. However, U.S. officials firmly disputed those accounts. In a statement to CBS News, a U.S. official reported no injuries to American forces and no major damage to U.S. facilities, noting that “the overwhelming majority of Iranian missiles and drones launched were intercepted or shot down.”
Inside Iran, semi-official news agencies Mehr and Tasnim reported that the overnight U.S. strikes killed one military member, identifying him as Lieutenant Hamidreza Dehghani of the Islamic Republic’s navy, during an attack on the southern port of Jask.
The heavy military exchange follows a dramatic increase in rhetoric. On Friday, President Trump threatened to “decimate and destroy” Iran if the regime attempted to assassinate him, stating that “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran.” On Saturday, Iran’s supreme leader released a statement vowing revenge for his father’s death.
The military flare-up has heavily strained the mid-June memorandum of understanding signed by President Trump and his Iranian counterpart. Despite the active combat, an Iranian delegation traveled to Oman on Sunday to continue mediated negotiations regarding the future administration and navigation of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Iranian leadership indicated a hardening stance. In a social media post that highlighted a section of the June agreement, Iran’s parliament speaker and lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that Iran would no longer tolerate lopsided diplomatic terms.
“The era of one-sided deals is OVER,” Ghalibaf wrote. “We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”
Reinforcing the strategic stakes of the waterway, Mohsen Rezaee, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, was quoted by ISNA as emphasizing that Tehran would fiercely defend the passage. “This strategic passage is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will protect it,” Rezaee said.
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