US and Iran exchange attacks for second day as ceasefire comes under strain

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: The United States and Iran carried out new attacks against each other on Thursday, extending hostilities into a second consecutive day and further weakening a ceasefire that had been agreed in April.

The latest escalation followed the downing of a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, which triggered reciprocal strikes inside Iran and on American military positions elsewhere in the region. The conflict began in late February with large-scale joint US-Israeli air strikes on Iran, and has now entered its fourth month despite unsuccessful efforts by negotiators to end the war.

The US military said its latest operation targeted military surveillance assets, communication systems and air defence installations across Iran, describing the action as a response to what it called Tehran's continued aggression. Central Command said the strikes ended roughly four hours after they started, shortly after midnight in Tehran.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday evening the US attacks would stop shortly, but that heavy bombing would resume if Iran's leaders did not immediately sign an agreement with Washington. Oil prices rose by nearly $3 after Trump's warning and continued to edge higher in early Asian trading on Thursday.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Central Command in Florida that the strikes were intended to pressure Iran into an agreement to end the conflict. He told reporters the attacks would advance US military aims and strengthen its diplomatic position.

"We will strike them hard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision. If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs," he added.

Iranian response and Hormuz dispute

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched counterattacks on 18 US military targets at airbases in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. It later said it had also struck the al-Azraq air base in Jordan for a second straight night, firing 12 ballistic missiles at the facility.

Kuwait's army said its air defences were engaging hostile aerial targets, while a media adviser to Bahrain's king said on X that Bahraini air defences had intercepted and destroyed Iranian aerial attacks.

Iran's top joint military command also warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz would come under fire. Iranian media reported that two US ships had been fired upon. US Central Command rejected those claims, saying the strait was not closed and that no US ships had been hit. Commercial shipping was still moving through the waterway despite Iranian threats.

Iranian news agencies reported explosions in several cities, including Sirik, Kargan, Bandar Abbas, Minab and Karaj near the strait, as well as Varamin further north near the Caspian Sea.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US military had struck air defence and radar positions around the Strait of Hormuz after Monday's helicopter incident. Iran then launched missile and drone attacks on US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. A US official said there was no significant damage.

Accusations and wider regional fighting

Iran accused the United States of hitting reservoirs that supplied drinking water to 10 villages and said the action breached international law. "This is not collateral damage - it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights," Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghei said.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The war has killed thousands and disrupted about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, pushing energy prices higher. Iran has blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has maintained its own blockade on Iranian ports.

Trump has repeatedly said an agreement is near, though there has been no indication of a breakthrough. His stated demands include ending Iranian restrictions on shipping through Hormuz and ensuring Tehran cannot develop a nuclear weapon, an ambition Iran denies having. Tehran's demands include an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, the lifting of sanctions, the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets and recognition of its control of the strait.

Fighting also continued in Lebanon, where Israeli air strikes in the south killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, according to Lebanese security sources. Hezbollah said it had carried out fresh attacks on Israeli forces. The Israeli military said two launches were identified falling near an area where its troops were operating in southern Lebanon after sirens were heard in several parts of northern Israel early on Thursday.

The conflict has also created domestic political pressure for the White House. Opinion polls showed Trump's approval rating falling amid voter frustration over higher gasoline prices, while some Republicans have expressed concern that the war's unpopularity could hurt the party in November's midterm elections.