US escalates Iran war with fresh strikes in Iran’s southern cities

TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — The United States launched fresh strikes against Iranian targets on Tuesday, further escalating a widening regional war as Washington threatened even harsher military action if Tehran retaliates.

The US military said its forces carried out the attacks in response to what it described as attempted Iranian attacks against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and US troops deployed across the Middle East.

The latest strikes mark another dangerous escalation in a conflict that has already devastated the region and repeatedly brought the United States and Iran to the brink of a wider confrontation.

Iranian state television reported several explosions in the country’s south near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The official IRNA news agency reported that four projectiles struck areas in the counties of Chabahar and Konarak, although it did not immediately provide details about casualties or damage.

US Central Command said the attacks were prompted by recent actions allegedly carried out by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards against commercial shipping and American military personnel in the region.

President Donald Trump defended the strikes and issued a further threat against Iran, saying Washington would respond with significantly greater force if Tehran retaliated.

Trump claimed the US attacks were retaliation for an alleged Iranian attempt to place sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and for eight missiles fired toward a US military base in Jordan. He said all the missiles had been intercepted.

His warning underscored Washington’s increasingly confrontational approach to the conflict, with the US administration continuing to rely on military force and threats rather than creating space for diplomacy.

Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi condemned the attacks and warned Washington that it would face consequences.

“Severe punishment awaits the aggressors,” Mohebi said in a post on X, warning that the United States would regret launching the latest strikes.

The confrontation comes after months of warfare in which both sides have remained locked in a military stalemate. Iran has maintained its closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has continued a counter-blockade targeting Iranian ports.

On Sunday, US forces carried out their first known strikes on Iranian territory in several weeks, attacking the Iranian island of Larak in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington said the operation was intended to destroy Iranian launch systems and prevent Tehran from laying mines in the critical maritime passage.

Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones toward Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, saying the attacks were directed at US military forces stationed in those countries.

The war began in late February after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran that killed the country’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The conflict has since spread across the region, with military operations increasingly threatening one of the world’s most important energy and shipping routes.

The risks to commercial shipping have also intensified. Greek maritime risk management company Marisks said Tuesday that two crude-oil tankers were struck by unidentified projectiles late Monday.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency had earlier reported one of the incidents, saying there were no casualties or reported environmental consequences.

The attacks have added further pressure to international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a major global energy corridor whose disruption has already contributed to the broader regional crisis.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Tehran remained prepared to respond to developments involving negotiations to end the war.

Pezeshkian warned that any US attempt to return to negotiations while maintaining a policy based on pressure and threats could undermine diplomacy.

His comments came as Washington’s latest military operation demonstrated the growing gap between calls for diplomatic engagement and the continued use of American military power against Iran.