Trump raises fears of open war with fresh strikes in Iran

The US raised fears of a slide back into open war after it launched a renewed barrage of attacks on Iran with a warning from President Trump not to retaliate because “they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level”. Trump framed the latest round of strikes as continued retaliation against Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Most commented 1 I tried the new £419 Dyson toothbrush. Here’s what happened Health & Fitness 373 comments 2 Joshua Kushner appoints Musk lawyer to battle Uefa World Cup legal case World Cup 195 comments 3 UK borrowing costs hit an 18-year high in global bond sell-off Economics 74 comments 4 Turks and Caicos healthcare to be withdrawn in cash dispute Healthcare 48 comments 5 Pakistan selector quits after seven players sent home and head coach fired Cricket 111 comments After the latest American strikes on Tuesday, Tehran claimed it had responded by launching a “decisive operation” against American targets in the region. Iranian media said: “The US bases and interests in the region are being targeted by Iranian missiles and drones.” Top stories 1 Top five 2027 cruise and tour packages to book with Times Holidays Promoted content It later reported launching a drone attack at US forces in Bahrain and a “heavy barrage of ballistic missiles” at a base in Jordan. There were no US casualties, according to initial reports. Jordan’s armed forces said it intercepted ten ballistic missiles, while three others landed in “remote areas”. US newsletter A balanced, fair and fact-checked take on global news and culture for our US readers. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the US newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. US newsletter Explore our newsletters What appears to be under way is a renewed tussle for control over the Strait of Hormuz after the establishment by the US of a channel in Omani territorial waters that has been enabling a number of vessels to transit under cover of darkness. Trump claimed on Monday that the number was “averaging about 30 ships every night”. Advertisement “The United States is, as we speak, striking Iranian Targets near the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted on his Truth Social site at 1.25pm Eastern Time. Top stories 1 Marine Le Pen pledges vote on banning Muslim headscarves in public Europe 2 Hamas official captured after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Israel-Hamas war 3 UK borrowing costs hit an 18-year high in global bond sell-off Economics “The strikes are large and powerful, and in retaliation for the Iranians’ failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait, which currently has no mines (They have been completely removed or detonated!), and the Iranians [on Monday] shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our military base in Jordan.” He added: “If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!” Trump then told Fox News: “I think an agreement with them isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. We gave them a lot of chances … they don’t stop. They’re crazy and they’re stupid. They tried to rebuild their radar because they can’t see anything. We waited until it was almost built and then we hit it.” Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz REUTERS/Stringer The Trump administration was considering a plan to “mow the lawn” and wage limited strikes on the Strait before Tuesday’s attacks to prevent Iran from rebuilding the radar and missile capabilities it needs to attack ships, according to Axios. Advertisement Tuesday’s strikes appeared to be significantly more extensive than Monday’s, as state media claimed Jask and Chabahar, cities on the Gulf of Oman; Bandar Abbas and Sirik, cities on the Strait of Hormuz; and Qeshm island, on the northern side of the strait, were struck. Jiroft airport, in the south of the country, and a gas hub was also said to have been hit. Four people died and 35 were injured at a wedding ceremony in Sirik, according to state television. US Central Command said its forces struck IRGC targets after attacks on commercial shipping and against American service members in the region. The US embassy in Qatar urged Americans in the Middle East to exercise caution and be aware of disruptions as a result. Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), posted on X that “severe punishment awaits the aggressors; the United States will regret its new attacks”. The Financial Times reported that Russia was secretly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missiles, which would be capable of threatening US naval vessels in the Middle East with a ramjet propulsion system, an engine that allows a cruise missile to sustain flight at several times the speed of sound. Advertisement After the strikes finished, Trump posted on Truth Social: “I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. “I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?” A US helicopter takes off as part of the blockade against Iran us central command Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian had said earlier on Tuesday at a regional summit in Kyrgyzstan that Tehran would reciprocate immediately if Washington honoured its commitments under a June memorandum of understanding intended to halt the conflict. How six months of war could make US rethink Middle East role for ever The agreement declared an end to fighting that began with joint US and Israeli attacks on February 28. But it deferred the most difficult issues into a 60-day negotiation period which passed last month without further agreement. Advertisement Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran earlier that Washington was “addicted to making excessive demands and has mistaken negotiations for dictating terms”. He added that “as long as they act in this manner, they will certainly get no result other than what they have achieved so far” and that Tehran would “use all our capabilities, whether on the battlefield or through our diplomatic apparatus”.