The United States and Iran exchanged strikes early Thursday, effectively collapsing a two-month ceasefire and pushing the Middle East closer to broader conflict.
U.S. forces hit multiple Iranian cities in a second round of airstrikes. Iran responded by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. No serious injuries or significant damage were reported from the Iranian strikes, with drones and missiles apparently intercepted by air defense systems.
American forces struck multiple sites in Iran, including a drinking water facility in southern Iran, leaving thousands without drinking water for approximately 12 hours.
Iran has maintained its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane, which has already pushed oil prices higher.
Shortly after the overnight exchange, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, threatening further military action.
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"The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT," Trump said. "At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela, which is working out brilliantly for both Venezuela and the United States of America."
Trump has pushed for a deal, saying an agreement could come within days, arguing Iran has been dragging out negotiations.
"I've been working with Iran for a number of months and they should sign the deal. It's a good deal. It doesn't give them the right to have a nuclear weapon. In fact, it totally prohibits them from ever having a nuclear weapon. And it was just tap, tap, tap. I don't know what they're doing. We're really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers," Trump said.
Negotiations are continuing in the background, though the ceasefire has all but collapsed in the last 48 hours.
Democrats on Capitol Hill are pushing back on the administration's approach.
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"It is re-escalation. The war has never ended. Contrary to what the military will state and president and others have said in this — this war has continued. It's now in danger of vast escalation and the most serious kind of danger. Leadership is required. They need to go back to the table. But as long as the president keeps threatening the kind of deadly, serious escalation that he seems to be planning and contemplating, the Iranians are going to be loath to come back to the table," Sen. Richard Blumenthal said.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says its armed forces will respond "forcefully and definitively to any aggression or attack by the United States," signaling no signs of easing the situation.
