The US military launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran Wednesday evening, hours after President Trump warned additional attacks on the Islamic Republic were coming to try and force Tehran to re-enter serious peace negotiations.
“U.S. Central Command [CENTCOM] forces began launching additional self-defense strikes today at 5:15 p.m. ET against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” the Tampa, Fla.-based combat command said in a statement on X.
“The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”
There were no immediate reports on specific targets, damage or casualties.
“We’ve hit them hard tonight,” Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst amid the airstrikes.
Asked what he’ll do if Tehran doesn’t make a deal, the president responded: “We’ll bomb the s–t out of them tomorrow.”
Trump also revealed he spoke with top Iranian officials in the Situation Room who begged him to stop bombing.
At least 49 Tomahawk missiles were fired by US forces at Iran, according to Trump, while fighter jets dropped additional bombs on the country.
The closest target to Tehran was about 40 miles outside the capital city, the president said.
Wednesday’s attacks came after the nations of Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, all of which host US troops, came under Iranian fire. They also took place one day after an initial wave of strikes that followed the takedown of an Army helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz by an Iranian drone.
Hours earlier, the US military said it had fired on an oil tanker attempting to transport fuel from Iran in violation of its blockade on the country’s ports along the crucial waterway. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, said an American aircraft fired “precision munitions” into the engine room of the Palau-flagged vessel M/T Settebello, making it the eighth merchant vessel disabled by US forces in waters off Iran.
India’s foreign ministry said three Indian sailors were missing after the Settebello was struck, while 21 others were rescued. Its statement did not mention the US military or the blockade.
Hawkins said American forces warned the crew before firing on the ship.
“We’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday afternoon before urging Iran to sign a peace deal that would include them giving up ambitions of acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“CENTCOM will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard — and we will be,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters in Florida.
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“Iran has a chance to make a good deal, a great deal, to codify what they said they’ve been willing to do, and they haven’t been willing to do it,” he added.
“As President Trump said, they’ve been tap, tap, tapping [the US along on making a deal] … instead, they are going to have tap, tap, tap, bombs dropping on key facilities in Iran from the United States of America.”
Iran responded to the president with belligerence, with Tehran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, telling the world body’s Security Council: “Iran has never negotiated under threats and pressure and will never submit to pressure or question.”
Meanwhile, efforts to mediate a deal continue. Following consultations with the US, a delegation from Qatar arrived in Tehran for talks on Wednesday, according to an official with knowledge of the visit who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
The US wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, that uranium is a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.
Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump rejected.
It’s not clear how those differences can be bridged. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump said Iran was taking “too long to negotiate a deal” and “now they will have to pay the price!!!”
Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Israel has instead intensified its military campaign against the Lebanon-based militant group.
With Post wires
