On Tuesday the United States launched a series of air strikes against Iranian targets in the Middle East. The move was made after Iran fired at U.S. bases in Jordan and at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes were described by U.S. Central Command as a "powerful response" to the attack on American forces. They follow joint U.S. and Saudi operations that hit Iranian‑backed militias in Iraq.
The conflict began in February when U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iranian sites. Since then the war has stretched on for over five months, with no clear end in sight.
President Trump vowed to hit Iran hard in a statement at the White House, saying the United States would "be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them."
Iran said its Revolutionary Guard had struck a U.S. air base and a command centre in Jordan, and NATO stated the U.S. had targeted 13 consecutive nights against Iranian weapons and military sites.
While both sides had a brief pause for talks, the new waves of retaliation show tensions are far from settled. The U.S. remains involved in a long‑running rivalry between Iran, a Shia powerhouse, and Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni nation.
