U.S. completes fresh strikes on Iran as Mideast tensions flare again

U.S. forces completed another wave of strikes against Iran late Tuesday stateside, hitting multiple sites across the country, in a renewed exchange of fire between the warring parties after a nearly month-long hiatus. In a post on X, the U.S. Central Command said that the targets struck included air defense and communications sites, and radar systems, in retaliation against the "recent attempted attacks" by Iran against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members. Tehran has responded to American strikes, targeting U.S. ally Jordan. The country's armed forces said that it was targeted by a missile attack that originated from Iranian territory. A spokesperson for Jordan's armed forces said on X that 10 of 13 missiles were intercepted by the country's air defense systems, with the three fell in remote areas. No injuries or deaths were reported. Bahrain's interior ministry also announced "an alert of potential threat" early Wednesday local time, urging citizens to head to the nearest safe location. The nature of the threat was not immediately clear. Oil prices continued to rise in Asia trading Wednesday following the strikes, after international benchmark Brent rose 4.5% to $94.52 a barrel on Tuesday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures added about 5% to $90.03 per barrel, hitting levels not seen since July 24. In a Truth Social post Tuesday U.S. President Donald Trump called the latest U.S. strikes "large and powerful," and threatened further military action if Tehran retaliated against what he called a "very justified attack." Iranian forces on Monday stateside had hit a U.S. base in Jordan after American forces attacked rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island the day before. Washington claimed that the launchers were preparing to fire rockets carrying sea mines into the strait. The Sunday strikes were the first time that the U.S. and Iran traded attacks in about a month, and after the Trump administration said it was launching an "economic D-Day" on Tehran's backers.