President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that U.S. military strikes against Iran will continue following a dramatic overnight exchange of missiles, drones and retaliatory attacks that marked one of the most serious escalations between the two countries since the April 8 ceasefire.
The latest violence has placed already fragile diplomatic efforts under severe pressure, with Iranian officials saying they are reviewing whether to continue negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. At the same time, U.S. officials maintain that military operations were necessary after what Trump described as Iran’s downing of an American AH-64 Apache helicopter by an Iranian Shahed drone — a claim Tehran has denied.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Trump indicated that further strikes were likely.
“We hit ’em hard yesterday, and we’re going to hit ’em again hard today,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens with the deal.”
The president’s comments came after U.S. Central Command launched three waves of strikes against targets in southern Iran. The operation was described as retaliation for the reported helicopter incident and part of a broader campaign against Iranian military capabilities.
Iran responded with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting U.S. positions and allied facilities across the region. Iranian officials claimed attacks against the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, Bahrain, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and locations in Kuwait.
A U.S. official told that initial assessments indicated most Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted and that there were no reported injuries among U.S. personnel or confirmed damage to American facilities.
“Iran launched multiple missiles and drones and just about all were intercepted according to initial reflections from assessments that are ongoing,” the official said, speaking anonymously to discuss operational matters. “No reports of harm to any U.S. personnel; not aware of any damage to our locations at this time.”
However, previous assessments during earlier phases of the conflict were later revised after additional information revealed wider damage than initially reported. Officials cautioned that damage evaluations from the latest attacks remain ongoing.
Videos circulating online appeared to show missile interceptions, explosions and air defense activity across the region. Footage from Jordan appeared to show intercepts near Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key location used by U.S. forces for regional air operations.
Additional footage from Manama showed what appeared to be an explosion in the distance following reports of an Iranian missile launch toward the Fifth Fleet headquarters. The extent of any damage remains unclear.
Iranian state-linked media, including Tasnim News Agency, released footage it claimed showed the attack on the U.S. naval facility. The short video appeared to show an explosion but did not provide evidence of specific damage.
Kuwait condemned the Iranian strikes, saying it reserved the right to take measures necessary to protect its territory and national security.
The escalation has also complicated diplomatic efforts. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was reconsidering its participation in peace negotiations.
“We have to review it,” Baqaei said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. “Diplomacy and the battlefield are not separate matters; rather, they run alongside and complement each other in safeguarding Iran’s interests and security.”
Baqaei said Iran’s military and diplomatic efforts were operating together, arguing that Tehran would continue responding to threats while pursuing its strategic objectives.
“Wherever the Armed Forces deem it necessary, they respond to the enemy with authority and strength,” he said.
Despite the renewed fighting, diplomatic channels appear to remain open. Reports indicated that Qatari negotiators traveled to Tehran after consultations with Washington in an effort to address remaining disputes.
The negotiations center on several major issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities, support for regional proxy groups, sanctions relief and the future of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has increasingly criticized Iran’s willingness to negotiate, saying Tehran waited too long to accept an agreement.
“Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore — They have been completely defeated.”
Trump also suggested that future strikes could target broader infrastructure, including Iranian power plants and bridges.
The conflict has extended beyond direct U.S.-Iran exchanges and into regional security concerns. Iran claimed it had shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone overnight, though the claim could not immediately be independently verified.
The United States has previously lost multiple unmanned aircraft in the region, including incidents involving Iranian forces and Iran-backed groups.
Maritime security has also become a growing concern. A cargo ship reported coming under small-arms fire 88 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitoring organization.
The vessel reported being approached by a small craft carrying six armed individuals. An exchange of fire occurred between the attackers and the ship’s armed security team before the small craft withdrew.
The incident was the first reported attack near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait since Yemen’s Houthi movement threatened to close the strategic waterway in support of Iran.
U.S. Central Command separately announced that it disabled an oil tanker attempting to bypass restrictions on Iranian oil shipments. The operation involved the Palau-flagged tanker M/T Settebello, which was targeted in the Gulf of Oman after allegedly attempting to transport Iranian oil.
CENTCOM said it had redirected more than 100 ships during its maritime enforcement operations and allowed humanitarian vessels to continue passing through the area.
Trump claimed the U.S. naval blockade had severely damaged Iran’s economy, saying Washington had effectively controlled access through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Fake News Media refuses to report how EFFECTIVE the U.S. Naval BLOCKADE is,” Trump wrote. “NOTHING GETS THROUGH unless we want it to.”
However, maritime intelligence analysts disputed parts of that claim. TankerTrackers.com said some Iranian-linked liquefied petroleum gas carriers had managed to bypass restrictions through tactics including AIS signal manipulation and route concealment.
The organization said crude oil shipments appeared to have faced greater disruption than other categories of energy exports.
The regional conflict has also continued involving Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military said it carried out strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including sites near Tyre that it said were being used to support attacks against Israel.
Israel said it targeted facilities connected to drone launches and other military activities. Hezbollah, meanwhile, claimed it had launched attacks against Israeli forces.
The growing tensions have raised concerns beyond the immediate U.S.-Iran confrontation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that Israel’s actions in Lebanon and Syria could threaten Turkey’s security interests.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded sharply, accusing Erdoğan of supporting hostile groups and criticizing Turkey’s own policies.
The latest developments highlight the uncertainty surrounding the region’s future. While military forces on all sides continue operations, diplomatic efforts remain active in an attempt to prevent a wider war.
For now, the possibility of further U.S. strikes, continued Iranian retaliation and instability around key energy routes remains a major concern for global markets and international security planners.
Trump said Wednesday that oil prices would fall because large volumes of crude had already moved through the region.
“We’re talking about millions of barrels of oil,” he told reporters.
The president claimed a previously undisclosed U.S. military operation had helped move more than 100 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime analysts, however, said the shipments involved were primarily Arab oil rather than Iranian exports.
