In a fresh escalation amid the already fragile ceasefire, US forces carried out additional strikes on Iran on Wednesday, just hours after President Donald Trump declared that the interim agreement to end the conflict was "over". In retaliation, Iran launched strikes targeting the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and an American military base in Kuwait.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the latest strikes were aimed at further degrading Tehran's ability to threaten freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks reportedly rattled several cities along Iran's southern coast, with some areas experiencing power outages.
"US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM said in a post on X.
"The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," it added.
The latest wave of US strikes began on Tuesday after three oil tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. In a parallel move, Washington revoked a general licence that had allowed Tehran to sell crude oil and petrochemical products on international markets.
Reuters, citing a US official, reported that Wednesday's operation involved a larger number of strikes than those conducted on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Iran responded with retaliatory attacks targeting US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iranian state media reported that a fire broke out at the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain following the strike.
Bahrain's Interior Ministry said air raid sirens had been activated and urged citizens and residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.
The Kuwait military said in a post on X that any explosions heard are a result of air defence systems intercepting hostile attacks. It, however, didn't specify the origin of the projectiles.
Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had vowed to deliver a "devastating response" to the US strikes on its territory.
