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Strikes Across Red Sea
The U.S. military launched more airstrikes on Iran early Wednesday as Iran hit back against U.S. military targets in the Gulf and Jordan, with the fighting coming as diplomatic efforts in Pakistan continued and the Trump administration sought billions of dollars in emergency funding from Congress.
“The U.S. military launched more airstrikes on Iran early Wednesday”
U.S. Central Command said it targeted Iranian military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and military logistics infrastructure in its 11th consecutive night of attacks aimed at degrading Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media reported explosions in seven Iranian provinces and said attacks included a strike on an electrical installation close to a nuclear power plant in Bushehr province, while President Trump repeated his threat that the United States would bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT if Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict also spilled into the Red Sea as Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, declared that Bab el-Mandeb would be off limits to Saudi Arabia and warned international shipping companies to avoid the waterway, with the Houthis' Ansar Allah movement controlling the north and center of Yemen including Sanaa.
In parallel, the Pentagon identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, N.Y., as the third U.S. service member killed in Jordan, bringing the number of U.S. casualties killed during the Iran war to 18.
Named Soldiers, Named Officials
As the weekend escalations raised the U.S. casualty count, ABC News said roughly 500 wounded and at least four service members killed after the collapse of the ceasefire, with the Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell providing an updated casualty count.
ABC News identified Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, as killed Friday during an Iranian missile and drone attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, and quoted Brig. Gen. Glenn Henke saying, "We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales."
The same ABC News report identified 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, as dying from wounds suffered during that Friday attack on the Jordan air base the following day, and it identified Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, as believed killed in action during Friday's Iranian strike on a U.S. base in Jordan.
In parallel, the Jerusalem Post reported U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the United States was still willing to negotiate but that "Tehran is not serious about talks," framing the dispute around the Strait of Hormuz and Rubio's argument that Iran could not be allowed to control it.
Rubio also said Washington was "always committed to diplomacy" while doubting whether Tehran was equally committed to negotiations, as the U.S. military bombed targets across Iran for an 11th straight night on Tuesday.
Ceasefire Terms at Risk
While mediation efforts continued, multiple outlets described a ceasefire proposal centered on the Strait of Hormuz and the memorandum of understanding, with i24NEWS saying Iran proposed a 10-day truce and Washington pressed to extend the ceasefire.
“officials in the Trump administration described the proposal as 'stupid.'”
i24NEWS reported that officials in the Trump administration described the proposal as 'stupid,' and it said the purpose of the ten-day ceasefire was to allow formulation of a solution to the crisis surrounding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Jerusalem Post said Rubio doubted Tehran's commitment to diplomacy and argued that the Strait of Hormuz could not be allowed to become a toll-charging waterway, warning that creating a precedent would repeat elsewhere.
In Tehran, Al Jazeera's Tehran correspondent Nourddine Al-Daghir wrote that Iran rejects proposals that include timeframes for a ceasefire, adding, "Iran believes that ceasefire timeframes are nothing but opportunities to regroup, reorganize forces, and return to war."
As the dispute over implementation persisted, the NPR report said the attacks were aimed at degrading Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, while the stakes for shipping and regional security were heightened by the Houthis' warning that Bab el-Mandeb would be off limits to Saudi Arabia.