U.S. Hits Dozens of Targets in Iran; Trump: "We’ll Bomb Again Tomorrow if There’s No Deal"

(Photo: CENTCOM)

For the second straight night, the U.S. and Iran were locked in direct military confrontation overnight (between Wednesday and Thursday), as the American air force carried out another wave of strikes on military targets across Iran. In Tehran, officials escalated their threats and declared that any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz would be targeted.

Shortly before 4:00 a.m., U.S. Central Command announced the end of the latest wave of strikes. According to reports, dozens of targets belonging to the Iranian military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were hit during the operation. The focus of the strikes was air defense systems, radar installations, and command-and-control units responsible for operating unmanned aircraft.

At the same time, reports emerged of a strike on a petrochemical plant in the city of Asaluyeh in southern Iran, though Iranian authorities denied that the facility had been hit.

President Donald Trump revealed in an interview with Fox that the U.S. military launched at least 49 Tomahawk missiles at various targets in Iran, בעיקר in the south of the country. According to Trump, the closest point at which American forces operated relative to Tehran was only about 60 kilometers from the Iranian capital.

During the interview, Trump said: "We’ll blow Iran to pieces if they don’t agree to a deal tomorrow." The American president also stressed that Israel was not involved at all in the current wave of strikes.

The Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters of Iran’s armed forces claimed that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed to vessel traffic of all kinds. The statement said that "due to the insecurity in the area, the Strait of Hormuz is closed to the movement of all types of vessels, including oil tankers and commercial ships. Any vessel that attempts to pass through will be attacked."

Despite the Iranian threat, American officials said that for now maritime traffic through the strait was continuing as usual and that commercial ships were still passing through the area.

At the same time as the strikes, sirens were heard across the Persian Gulf, apparently following an Iranian response to the American moves. The Revolutionary Guards later announced that they had attacked 18 targets they described as "important" belonging to the U.S. military at Ali Al Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber bases in Kuwait, as well as at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

The New York Times reported that the Qatari mediation delegation had left Tehran without significant progress in the talks, and that the chances of a breakthrough had been notably damaged. On the other hand, CNN reported that members of the delegation were still in Iran. This was the second consecutive night that the U.S. attacked inside Iranian territory. Trump had already announced yesterday that Washington intended to continue the operation tonight as well, in response to the downing of the American helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.