The U.S. military has carried out retaliatory strikes against Iran, following through on Donald Trump’s warnings after American forces intercepted attacks launched by Tehran overnight.
In a statement early Thursday, the military said it had finished what it called “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran,” describing the operation as a direct response to an earlier Iranian missile attack targeting a U.S. base in Jordan.
U.S. Central Command said in a social media update that, over roughly two hours, American forces hit “dozens” of sites tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The targets included military command centers, missile and drone infrastructure, and coastal surveillance and defense positions.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, has reportedly presented the President with a plan for nearly two weeks of sustained strikes aimed at severely degrading Iran’s missile arsenal, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Cooper is said to favor a “go big” strategy, arguing that a more forceful campaign is needed to break the cycle of escalating strikes between Washington and Tehran.
Other senior military figures, including General Dan “Raisin” Caine, have raised concerns about the strain on U.S. interceptor supplies after repeated Iranian attacks and have pushed for a more measured approach.
“Secretary Hegseth, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper, and Chairman Caine stand completely aligned and are united in mission, strategy, and resolve regarding overseas operations involving Iran,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told WSJ.
“The Department of War is locked and loaded, ready to execute the President’s directives at a moment’s notice.”
he United States military made good on Donald Trump’s threats to hit Iran back as a response after the US had to intercept attacks from Tehran last night
US Central Command confirmed the strikes took place in the early morning hours in Iran
It’s unclear if this is the path Trump has chosen but his rhetoric has indicated a taste for ratcheting things up.
The announcement came hours after President Trump threatened to ‘beat the f****** s*** out of’ Iran after US troops in Jordan were attacked.
‘[They’re] going to get a beating,’ Trump told Fox News.
Trump followed it up later Wednesday by threatening to slap tariffs on Iran in addition to sanctions and saying their time to be attacked was at hand.
‘We’re gonna be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it. It’s our turn,’ Trump said.
Trump’s threat of escalation on Wednesday comes the day after Iran launched ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan in what US Central Command described as an ‘attempted surprise attack.’
The US successfully intercepted all of the Iranian missiles, according to CENTCOM.
The US, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia, struck Iranian-backed militias in Iraq last night, CENTCOM said, saying this action was retaliation for a series of drone strikes and not the missile attack in Jordan.
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Trump said that the US-Saudi strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government.
Before Iran’s missile attack, both the regime and the US had observed a multi-day lull in the fighting, the first pause in nearly two weeks.
Relative quiet on Saturday and Sunday broke a string of 13 consecutive days of fighting after the breakdown of a June memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran.
The monthslong conflict with Iran has seen frequent pauses as the US tries to maneuver Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has frequently threatened major escalation against Tehran, including last Thursday when he said he was considering a ‘bigger than ever before’ attack on the regime.
Reporting has raised questions about whether escalation in Iran could stretch too far the US’s diminishing supply of some types of air defense munitions, such as Patriot missile interceptors.
Earlier this week, Trump revisited the idea of striking a possible Iranian nuclear facility known as Pickaxe Mountain while rebuking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bringing up the site in public.
Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey.
The head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper (pictured right), has presented the President with an option of nearly two weeks of intense strikes to try and decimate Iran’s missile stock
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported.
The flare-ups on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans.
The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the US is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies.
Egypt, a close US ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a major flashpoint in the conflict. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said his country had rejected a proposal from Oman, which lies on the other side of the strait, to jointly manage ship traffic.
In an interview with Iran’s state-run television, Kazem Gharibabadi said Oman’s proposal included dividing the strait into two routes.
Iran offered a counterproposal with a temporary plan for the transit of vessels through its territorial waters, he said, adding that Tehran’s policy is for the strait ‘never to return to its prewar situation,’ when ships moved freely.
This is a developing story.
