By Fridah Mbuvi, June 11, 2026
The United States and Iran moved closer to a wider regional confrontation on Thursday after American forces launched a second consecutive round of airstrikes against targets inside Iran, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran against countries hosting US military installations.
The renewed military campaign came after US President Donald Trump accused Iran of delaying negotiations, declaring that Tehran had “taken too long to negotiate” and would now “pay the price.”
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces deployed B-2 stealth bombers, Tomahawk cruise missiles and other assets from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to strike strategic targets across Iran. Explosions were reported in Tehran, Bandar Abbas and Karaj, with attacks focused on military surveillance systems, air defence installations, communications facilities and bases linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The White House said the operation followed the downing of a US Apache helicopter near the coast of Oman earlier this week.
In remarks to Fox News after the strikes, President Trump warned that Washington could broaden its target list to include civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power stations, should Tehran refuse to return to negotiations.
Iran responded with a fresh wave of ballistic missiles and long-range drones aimed at major American military facilities in the Middle East. The IRGC claimed responsibility for attacks targeting the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters and Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, and Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al-Jaber airbases in Kuwait.
American officials said most of the incoming missiles and drones were intercepted, although air-raid sirens sounded across Bahrain, prompting residents to seek shelter.
The military escalation has effectively shattered a fragile ceasefire that had held for nearly two months. Iran’s Foreign Ministry declared that the latest American strikes had rendered any existing truce “meaningless.”
Tehran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, a move with potentially severe consequences for global energy markets given the strategic waterway’s role in transporting oil supplies.
Financial markets reacted sharply to the deteriorating security situation, with oil and gold prices surging amid fears that the conflict could expand into a broader regional war. The latest exchange of attacks has heightened concerns among international powers that diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis may be rapidly slipping away.
