US and Iran trade strikes in major escalation, raising fears of wider war
Al Jazeera Staff
The United States and Iran have exchanged a new wave of strikes, described as the largest in over a month, stoking concerns of a regional conflict. Iran accused the US of striking a wedding near the Strait of Hormuz, killing at least five people, while Tehran launched missiles at targets in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq. The escalation follows a breakdown in diplomatic efforts and new US sanctions.
The United States and Iran have traded a new series of strikes, described as the most significant in over a month, heightening fears of escalation into a broader regional war. The US Central Command said it targeted dozens of military sites along Iran's southern coast.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that Iran would be "completely wiped out" if it retaliated against American attacks. "If they respond, they will be hit much harder," he told Fox News in an interview. Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles toward Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq. Tehran accused the US of striking a wedding, killing at least five people.
Where did the US strike?
Iran said a US bombing of a house hosting a wedding in the city of Kuhestak killed at least five people. Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, called it a "brutal" attack that wounded more than 68 people, including women and children. Footage released by the Iranian Red Crescent Society showed a building with its walls and windows blown out, debris scattered everywhere. The humanitarian group also released images of children being treated at a hospital in Sirik, a city overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.
Beyond Kuhestak, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported explosions in the coastal cities of Konarak, Bandar Abbas, Jask, Asaluyeh, and Qeshm Island. This marked the second consecutive night of US airstrikes, as Washington seeks to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz – a global energy artery that remains blockaded by Iran and used by Tehran as a bargaining chip.
Two locations near the cities of Ahvaz and Aghajari in Khuzestan province, southwestern Iran, were hit by missiles, according to the provincial deputy governor for security, speaking on state television IRIB. IRIB reported seven deaths at three locations in the province and eight others injured. In total, at least 18 people have been killed across Iran.
Where did Iran retaliate?
Iran's military said it launched missiles and drones at US bases and assets in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Erbil, Iraq. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it carried out a combined missile and drone attack on US facilities in Erbil province in northern Iraq in response to US airstrikes. Iran also claimed it struck Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, which hosts US forces, fired "heavy" ballistic missiles at Prince Hassan Air Base and a US Marine Corps base in Jordan, and targeted the headquarters and housing of US commanders at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Tehran said the attack on Kuwait caused a fire in a drone hangar and a ramp used by UAVs that had participated in strikes on Iran, and claimed to have destroyed several US drones and killed a number of US soldiers. Kuwait confirmed it intercepted drones and missiles but reported no casualties. Jordan's armed forces said its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 10 of 13 Iranian ballistic missiles entering its airspace, with the remaining three falling in remote areas and causing no casualties.
What are the US and Iran saying?
Washington and Tehran have intensified attacks and political rhetoric amid a diplomatic impasse. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would respond if the US returned to the terms of a June memorandum that halted military hostilities. The two sides had failed to reach an agreement before the deal expired on August 17. Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared that his country "has unforgettable lessons for the American enemy."
Spokesman Baghaei called for global action against the US attack on the wedding. "This cruelty cannot be separated from the chain of previous atrocities," he said, referring to attacks on the cities of Minab and Lamerd on the first day of the war. In Minab, US forces struck an elementary school, killing more than 150 people, while in Lamerd, they hit a sports hall, killing at least 21. "Iran will respond firmly to these barbaric crimes," Baghaei stressed, warning that governments and international organizations that remain silent "are not neutral."
On the US side, President Trump said he was not seeking to force Iran back to the negotiating table, dismissing reports that Washington was seeking a new deal with Tehran. "I much prefer our current position, with almost complete control of the Strait of Hormuz, and their economy in total collapse," he wrote on Truth Social, adding, "When will the Iranian people rise up and fight?"
Maritime security expert Alexandru Hudisteanu told Al Jazeera that the latest escalation in the US-Iran war is unlikely to be a one-off "because this war has not been resolved militarily and both sides have incentives to fight over time." He suggested it could become "a repeating pattern" even if the war is no longer in an "active phase." Negotiations over the status of the Strait of Hormuz have stalled, with Washington demanding Iran lift its blockade of the strait unconditionally, while Tehran wants the US to end its naval blockade of Iranian ports. The new escalation comes a week after the US imposed a series of economic sanctions to pressure Iran back to the negotiating table, a move Tehran says will fail.
