Dubai: The United States launched airstrikes Wednesday against Iran, and President Donald Trump said more were coming, as Tehran fired back at countries in the region. The escalating attacks threatened to derail efforts to end the war, with Trump warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for stalled negotiations.
Trump’s warnings at the White House and on social media came hours after Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan – all of which host US troops – came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested a two-month ceasefire. Monday, Iran and Israel targeted each other.
“We’re going to hit them again hard today,” Trump told reporters at the White House hours after US Central Command said it struck Iranian military sites.
Shortly after Trump spoke, the US military said it had fired on an oil tanker trying to transport oil from Iran in violation of its blockage on Iranian ports. It was the eighth merchant vessel disabled in the waters off Iran, US Central Command announced in a social media post Wednesday.
Trump wouldn’t say if he planned to follow through on threats he made earlier in the war to attack bridges and utility plants in Iran. He urged Iran to sign a deal with the US.
“We were really close to a deal but they keep tapping us along,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments underlined the American leader’s whipsaw approach to the war. He suggested Monday that a deal to end the conflict could be reached in a matter of days.
Iran, meanwhile, has proved resilient despite having faced weeks of heavy bombing. It is betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz – a crucial passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas – gives it a strong bargaining chip.
Still, both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict – if they can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That will make compromise much harder.
Since the US and Israel started the war with attacks on IranFeb. 28, the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world, and made food and other basics more expensive. The international benchmark for crude oil traded above USD 92 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.
In the latest strikes, US fighter jets targeted “air defence, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites,” the military’s Central Command said.
Iran said US strikes hit two water reservoirs in its southern city of Sirik, cutting off water to thousands of people. Iran’s state media published video of what it said was a damaged reservoir, though the Associated Press could not immediately verify the footage.
US Central Command did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iran’s top diplomat vowed that there would be a response, and Tehran later claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles, which Iran said targeted an airbase the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The base has hosted American F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency reported there were no injuries.
Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire, without elaborating.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the American attacks as a violation of Iranian sovereignty in calls with his counterparts from Turkey and Saudi Arabia “and emphasised the inherent right of self-defence, including reciprocal action,” according to a post on his office’s Telegram channel.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in televised comments Wednesday that, following the new attacks, Iran would review its stance on negotiations to end the war.
Efforts to mediate a deal continued. Following consultations with the US, a delegation from Qatar arrived in Tehran for talks Wednesday, according to an official with knowledge of the visit who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks.
The exchanges of fire came a day after a US Army attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. It wasn’t clear whether the collision was intentional.
A drone boat rescued both of the helicopter’s crew, and Trump said they were uninjured.
Before he accused Iran of downing the US helicopter, Trump expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, though he didn’t say why there was reason for hope.
While Trump, wary of high gas prices in the run-up to congressional elections in November, seems to be looking for a quick win, he is also making demands that will be tough for Iran to swallow.
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 – and Trump has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the talks. His Truth Social post Wednesday accused Iran of taking “too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!”
Meanwhile, Iran has continued to insist that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Instead, Israel has intensified its military campaign against the militant group.
