Washington — The U.S. military launched a second consecutive night of strikes against Iran late Wednesday, targeting about 90 Iranian sites including air defenses, drone and missile storage, naval targets, and logistics infrastructure along Iran's coast, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM stated on X that the strikes were ordered by President Trump in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three commercial oil tankers earlier in the week. The military's objective is to "further degrade [Iran's] ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Iranian state media reported explosions in several cities, including the southern port city of Bandar Abbas. Early Thursday, Kuwait announced it was "confronting hostile missile and drone attacks," and emergency sirens sounded in Bahrain. While the sources of these threats were not specified, Iranian counterattacks against U.S.-allied Gulf states have followed previous U.S. strikes.

President Trump, who had vowed to "hit [Iran] hard again tonight," declared the three-month-old ceasefire between the two countries effectively over, stating, "As far as I'm concerned, it's over." This ceasefire had been extended last month through a memorandum of understanding that aimed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, and begin easing sanctions on Iran.

During a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump remarked, "I'll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don't see it," signaling skepticism about ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Sources