The United States launched airstrikes early Wednesday against Iran, blaming Tehran for the crash of an American attack helicopter, and Iran retaliated by firing on countries in the region, escalating tensions that threaten to derail efforts to end the ongoing war. Hours after Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan came under Iranian fire, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Iran was taking "too long to negotiate a deal" and that "now they will have to pay the price." The back-and-forth strikes marked the second time this week that such exchanges have tested the ceasefire, following Iran and Israel targeting each other on Monday.
The conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, has shaken the global economy, driving up energy prices and making basics like food more expensive.
Brent crude oil was at more than $91 a barrel on Wednesday, up over 25% since the war started. In the latest strikes, U.S.
fighter jets targeted air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites, according to the military's Central Command. Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island but did not provide details on damage.
Iran's top diplomat vowed a response, and Tehran later claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. Jordan reported shooting down five incoming missiles, which Iran said targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a facility that has hosted American F-35 fighter jets.
Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire without elaborating.
The exchanges came a day after a U.S. Army attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a U.S.
official speaking on condition of anonymity. It was unclear whether the collision was intentional.
A drone boat rescued both aviators, and Trump said they were uninjured. Meanwhile, a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden repelled an attack by gunmen in a small boat, and a fire in the engine room of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman injured one person and left two others missing.
Trump has expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran but has also made demands that are difficult for Tehran to accept, including giving up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful but refuses to surrender the uranium, demanding relief from sanctions and the release of frozen assets.
Trump has threatened to walk away from talks, posting a clip from "The West Wing" on Truth Social with the line: "We don't come back with a proportional response, we come back with total disaster!" Iran has insisted that any deal must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel, but Israel has intensified its military campaign against the militant group, launching multiple strikes in southern Lebanon that killed at least six people.