American forces resumed strikes against Iran on Tuesday, according to US Central Command (Centcom). Centcom stated that the strikes were in response to "recent attempted attacks" by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Red Crescent reported that four people, including a young child, were killed and over 50 injured when shrapnel from a US missile hit a home during a wedding celebration in Sirik, southern Iran.
In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on US military bases in Iraq and Jordan, as reported by local state media and the Jordanian Armed Forces. Attacks were also noted in Kuwait and Bahrain. The IRGC warned that the US would "regret" the strikes, and by early Wednesday, it had fired ballistic missiles at a US Marine base in Aqaba, Jordan, as retaliation for the Sirik incident, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The Jordanian Armed Forces intercepted 13 ballistic missiles, destroying 10, while three fell in remote areas, with no reported casualties. The national security center in Jordan had issued warnings to residents of Aqaba and Mafraq regarding falling debris, which have since been lifted. The Kuwait army also reported responding to Iranian missile attacks early Wednesday, and several explosions were reported in Bahrain following the attacks.
Former President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face more severe consequences if it retaliated against the US strikes. This incident follows the first known US strikes on Iran since late July, when US forces targeted two rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait. In response, Iran had fired missiles at air bases in Jordan and launched a drone at the UAE.
Centcom indicated that US forces began striking IRGC targets at 12:00 ET (16:00 GMT) and completed the strikes by early Wednesday. Iranian state media reported that a four-year-old child was among those killed in the Sirik attack, and additional reports indicated that projectiles hit areas including Chabahar, Konarak, and an airport in Jiroft, with explosions heard in Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas.
US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, representing Centcom, stated that the US military does not target civilians, unlike the IRGC. The US and Israel had previously conducted extensive strikes on Iran on February 28, leading to Iranian attacks on Israel, US bases, and allied states in the Gulf, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic.
A ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran, known as the Memorandum of Understanding, was signed in June but has since expired, resulting in renewed hostilities. Both nations have targeted shipping, with Iran attacking vessels it claims have crossed the Strait without permission, while the US has enforced a naval blockade of Iranian ports.
On August 24, Washington announced a new sanctions campaign aimed at isolating Tehran and expanding secondary sanctions against its allies. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned that many US allies expressed their commitment to support sanctions against Iran during a G20 finance ministers meeting. Iranian officials and state media have largely dismissed the sanctions as a continuation of previous economic measures, which they argue followed the US's military failures in the recent conflict. However, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was quoted as saying that if the US recommitted to the agreement, Iran would reciprocate.