Iran war: US launches strikes on Iran as 'powerful response'
The US military announced that its "heavy wave" of strikes on Iran was completed.
In a statement on X, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its latest wave of strikes hit "dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities."
"The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries," US CENTCOM went on to say.
"The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East," the military wrote in another post on X.
Earlier, President Donald Trump warned that the United States would hit Iran hard in retaliation for Iranian attacks on US forces in Jordan.
Iranian media report attacks around Qeshm island
Three explosions were heard on Qeshm Island in Iran near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Tasnim said that a residential area on the island was hit.
There have also been reports of explosions in Abadan and Bushehr, two cities in the southwestern part of the country.
"At 04:00 am (0030 GMT) a point near Qeshm was attacked by the American enemy military," said Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of the southern Hormozgan province, according to the Mehr news agency.
"Points around Abadan city were attacked by missiles by the terrorist enemy of America," the Fars news agency reported, citing the deputy governor of Khuzestan.ALSO READ: Is the Strait of Hormuz still Iran's trump card?
Trump threatens to hit Iran 'very hard'
US President Donald Trump said the United States would hit Iran very hard following an attack on US military personnel in Jordan.
"They’ve already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit," he told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
"It’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we’re going to hit them very hard," Trump added.
The warning came after the lull in fighting appeared to end, quashing hopes of returning to negotiations.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on Iran-backed militants in Iraq, which Baghdad widely condemned. Saudi Arabia's direct involvement threatens to widen the already escalating conflict in the region. ALSO READ: Security fears behind quick UK stopover? Trump says 'I'm number one of their list'
US-owned storage tanker hit by drone at Egyptian port — security firm
Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, released Wednesday an initial assessment stating that a drone had struck a US-owned gas storage tanker in the Egyptian port of Damietta.
An earlier statement from Egypt's Oil Ministry confirmed the fire at the port, but did not mention a drone attack. The ministry said the fire was dealt with immediately and there were no casualties.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible.
If confirmed, a strike by Iran or its allies would mark a significant escalation of the conflict.
US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident.
