Iran strikes continued for a 11th night as Trump threatened an underground nuclear site near Natanz and Tehran warned of retaliation.
Iran strikes continued into an 11th straight night late Tuesday, as the United States kept up attacks and Tehran warned Washington against hitting its nuclear facilities. The latest round came after President Donald Trump said the US would soon target an underground site near Natanz, raising the stakes in a conflict already tied to the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said the strikes were meant to keep weakening Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the waterway. It said US forces hit Iranian military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage sites and military logistics infrastructure. Centcom also accused Iran of attacking more than 30 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months, saying the assaults endangered mariners and challenged freedom of navigation.
Iranian state media reported that air defences were activated in Tehran, while explosions were also reported in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak and Bushehr, where Iran’s only nuclear power plant is located. Iran has already retaliated against the US and its Middle East allies, and its Khatam Al-Anbiya military command said it would see any strike on the underground site as an expansion of the war in the region, according to state broadcaster IRIB. The command also threatened attacks on what it described as American interests, along with those of allies and supporters.
“Iran strikes continued for a 11th night as Trump threatened an underground nuclear site near Natanz and Tehran warned of retaliation.”
Trump told reporters during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that the next target could be a complex known as Pickaxe Mountain, which is suspected of being an undeclared enrichment facility. He said the US would hit the area soon and heavily, and added that he would not normally reveal targets. He also warned the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen that the US would “take care of” them if they followed through on threats to blockade Saudi ports.
The regional fallout has also widened beyond Iran and the US. Kuwait’s army said its air defences were dealing with drone attacks from Iran early Wednesday, while Bahrain and Jordan said they intercepted drone and missile strikes. The latest tensions matter because the fighting is still putting pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea shipping routes that help move oil and goods around the world.
The conflict is also carrying a heavy price tag for the US. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that the war has cost the United States about $37.5 billion so far, up by nearly $8 billion since his last estimate in May, and said military training would have to be reduced without extra funding.
Frequently asked questions
What targets did the US say it hit in Iran?
US Central Command said it struck Iranian military operations centres, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage sites and military logistics infrastructure.
Why did the US say it was continuing the strikes?
Centcom said the strikes were meant to keep weakening Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
How did Iran respond to the threat of a strike on the underground site near Natanz?
Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military command said any strike on the underground site would be seen as an expansion of the war. It also threatened attacks on American interests and those of allies and supporters.
How much has the conflict cost the United States, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth?
Hegseth told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the war has cost the US about $37.5 billion so far, up by nearly $8 billion since his last estimate in May.
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