U.S. resumes strikes against Iran, retaliating against surprise missile attack

The U.S. forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. Wednesday stateside, retaliating against Iranian missile attacks on American forces in the region, raising the specter of escalating conflict after a brief pause.

U.S. Central Command described the operation as a “powerful response” to Tuesday’s “attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.

The fresh strikes come after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted American forces in the Gulf region with multiple ballistic missiles late Tuesday stateside, although all of them were intercepted. Jordan’s armed forces said the country’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran.

The resumption of strikes marks the latest turn in a conflict that has whipsawed oil markets and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since fighting erupted in late February. The U.S. had halted two weeks of fire against Iranian targets last weekend, as diplomats sought to give peace talks “some space.”

Trump telegraphed the retaliation hours earlier, warning to order heavy strikes on Iran. “We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating,” Trump told a Fox News reporter early Wednesday.

Trump’s rhetoric sent Brent crude futures 7.9% higher to close at $90.74 a barrel on Wednesday, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures advanced 6.6% to settle at $84.46. Oil was trading slightly lower in early Asia trade Thursday.

Hostilities have widened across the region. U.S. and Saudi Arabia armed forces launched joint strikes Tuesday against Iran-allied militias in Iraq that had targeted oil facilities in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern region. Yemen’s Houthis had claimed attacks on Saudi pipeline infrastructure feeding the Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu.