U.S. and Iran exchange strikes amid disputed cease-fire
U.S. forces launched attacks on Iranian targets early Thursday, prompting Iran to strike U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, while both sides dispute the status of the Strait of Hormuz and a recent cease-fire.
U.S. Central Command reported that a series of airstrikes began shortly after midnight in Tehran and continued until about 4:30 a.m., hitting locations in Qeshm, Bandar Abbas, Minab and Sirik. Iran said it responded with two waves of attacks on U.S. installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, though the U.S. has not confirmed those strikes. Iran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels, a claim the U.S. military denied.
Kuwait’s military said it intercepted hostile targets and its civil aviation authority temporarily closed airspace over safety concerns. Bahrain’s interior ministry reported activation of warning sirens without specifying the cause.
The latest hostilities follow U.S. strikes a day earlier that targeted multiple Iranian sites in retaliation for the downing of an American Apache helicopter near the strait. President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the new attacks were intended to pressure Tehran into a peace agreement on terms acceptable to the United States. > "If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs," Hegseth told reporters in Tampa, Fla.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the cease-fire declared two months ago as a "lesser-fire," noting the recent escalation of attacks and rhetoric.
Separate reporting indicated that a U.S. precision strike may have damaged two water-storage facilities in Hormozgan Province, cutting water service to roughly 20,000 residents for about 12 hours. Iranian officials identified fragments of a GBU-39 bomb at the site, while a Central Command spokesperson acknowledged awareness of the damage without providing further details.
The United States also continues a covert operation to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, turning off transponders to avoid detection. Military officials estimate that more than 200 ships have been guided through the waterway in the past month, compared with pre-war traffic of about 3,000 ships per month.