US strikes resumed on Tuesday

The US attack on Iran was confirmed on Tuesday in a statement by the US Central Command (Centcom). Centcom said the operations were launched against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after recent attempts targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and American troops in the region. According to the command, the strikes began at 12:00 ET.

The Iranian Red Crescent said shrapnel from a US missile struck a house in the southern city of Sirik, where a wedding celebration was taking place. The agency said 4 people were killed, including a small child, and more than 50 others were injured. Iranian media also reported blasts and impacts around Chabahar, Konarak, Jiroft Airport, Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas.

Retaliation messages came from Iran and the US

Following the strikes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the United States would regret the consequences. Iranian news agencies also reported the start of retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US targets.

Tensions rose along the Jordanian front

According to Iranian sources, the Revolutionary Guard launched a ballistic missile strike on a US Marine Corps base in the Jordanian city of Aqaba in response to the attack in Sirik. Jordan's Al-Mamlaka network said the country's National Security Center warned residents in the Aqaba and Mafraq provinces about possible falling debris, before the warning was later lifted.

Donald Trump said the strikes announced on Tuesday were a response to Iran's targeting of a US military base in Jordan. Trump also warned that if Tehran retaliated, it would face even harsher and wider attacks.

Clashes flared again after ceasefire deal expired

Earlier this week, US forces had hit two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran responded by launching missiles at air bases in Jordan and sending a drone to the United Arab Emirates. The latest developments came after the expiry of an agreement signed in June between the two countries to extend the ceasefire.

Washington also announced a new sanctions campaign on August 24 aimed at further isolating Tehran. Iranian officials described the move as a continuation of earlier economic pressure, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in remarks carried by state media that Iran would respond if the United States renewed its commitment to the deal.

Key points

  • Centcom said the strikes were in response to recent attempts targeting the Strait of Hormuz and American troops in the region.
  • The Iranian Red Crescent reported 4 deaths and more than 50 injuries after shrapnel hit a wedding house in Sirik.
  • Statements from Iran and the United States pointed to a renewed risk of retaliation along the Jordan and Hormuz routes.