The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes for a second consecutive day on Thursday, escalating tensions and pushing the Middle East closer to a full-scale war. The American attacks, which continued into the early morning hours in Iran, were described as more intense and widespread than the previous day's operations.
Tehran has released limited information regarding the extent of the damage. An Indian official confirmed that a U.S.
strike on an oil tanker allegedly attempting to violate Washington's blockade on Iranian ports killed three Indian mariners, highlighting the ongoing danger to seafarers in the region. This marks the third time this week that back-and-forth strikes have rattled the Middle East, following earlier attacks between Iran and Israel, and now two rounds of fire between the U.S.
and Iran that have impacted countries hosting American bases. The renewed exchange of fire comes as diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war appear stalled.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would "pay the price" for the lack of progress in negotiations.
Iran's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Thursday asserting that the U.S. attacks had "effectively rendered the ceasefire meaningless," though it stopped short of formally abandoning the truce.
Central to the ongoing conflict is Iran's stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global energy supplies. The disruption has driven up fuel prices and increased the cost of food and other essentials far beyond the region.
Iran announced Thursday that the strait was closed, but it remains unclear what that means in practice, as the country has severely restricted traffic through the waterway since early in the war, allowing only a trickle of ships to pass. The U.S.
military's Central Command disputed Iran's claim, and Trump stated Wednesday that the U.S. has undertaken a secret mission in recent weeks to sneak ships through the passage.
The two sides remain deeply divided over Iran's nuclear program. Tehran insists its activities are peaceful, but the U.S.
and Israel fear Iran could use its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to build an atomic weapon. The U.S.
and Israel have stated that a major reason for launching the war on Feb. 28 was to prevent Iran from achieving that capability.
Central Command said its latest round of airstrikes came "in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression" and targeted "Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites." The command did not elaborate on the damage caused by the strikes, which it said ended just before sunrise Thursday in Iran. Explosions from the strikes echoed around Tehran, as well as the port city of Bandar Abbas and other southern areas along the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard later reported that sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks, and a local Guard base outside of Tehran. Iran retaliated by firing at Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, as it had done a day earlier.
Kuwait closed its airspace for several hours due to the attack but did not elaborate on any damage. Jordan reported intercepting 20 Iranian missiles fired toward an area housing a base with U.S.
troops, with no injuries reported. Bahrain's Interior Ministry stated that an 11-year-old girl was injured and cars and homes were damaged by debris from interceptions responding to the Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, Israel warned residents in the country's north to seek shelter after detecting suspected incoming fire from Lebanon, where Israel is fighting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militant group. Trump claimed Wednesday that the U.S.
military has undertaken a mission since last month to sneak oil shipments past Iran's forces in the Strait of Hormuz, aided by the destruction of Iranian radar equipment. He said more than 100 million barrels of oil have evaded Iran's chokehold, though there was no immediate confirmation of that figure, which equals roughly five days of oil shipments through the waterway before the war began.
The seas remain dangerous for mariners. Indian Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on X that three Indians missing after the American attack on the tanker Settebello had been killed.
The U.S. military's Central Command had accused the Settebello of violating the blockade by attempting to transport oil from Iran.
American forces fired into the ship's engine room to stop it Wednesday. The leader of the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency, condemned the attack.
India's foreign ministry summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to convey its "deepest concerns" over the attack and formally protest the strike, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Another tanker near where the Settebello was struck off Oman experienced a fire in its engine room on Thursday, according to the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Operations center. The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear.
Trump suggested earlier this week that an agreement with Iran could be close, but the exchanges of fire have called that into question, and major differences remain. The U.S.
wants Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is a short technical step from weapons-grade levels. Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demands relief from sanctions.
It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something Trump has rejected. Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing his goal of destroying the militant group. A Qatari diplomatic delegation, negotiating in coordination with the U.S., left Tehran on Thursday morning after holding talks, according to an official with knowledge of the team who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Pakistan expressed deep concern over rising tensions and urged both Iran and the U.S. to adhere to the ceasefire.