After a period of relative calm, the U.S.-Iran war is escalating again. The question is whether the latest back-and-forth will remain limited or if it signals a broader resumption of fighting on both sides.
U.S. Central Command, which covers the Middle East, said late Tuesday that it had struck Iranian military targets to retaliate for renewed attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf and attacks on American forces in the region.
Iran replied Wednesday morning with missiles targeting Bahrain, home to a key U.S. Navy base, and multiple drone attacks on Kuwait, according to The Associated Press.
Iranian state media reported that at least 12 people died in Tuesday’s U.S. strikes across southern Iran, among them four people – including a child – attending a wedding. U.S. Central command told The New York Times in a statement that it was aware of the reports but, “The U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps).”
A further four people were reported dead in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that two crewmen on a Saudi-owned tanker died when Iran struck the vessel Monday.
How Did the Latest Round of Violence Begin?
The latest round of violence began Sunday when the U.S. struck targets on Iran’s Larak Island, just north of the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. accused Iranian forces of using Larak to lay mines in the strait. Iran retaliated by launching a total of eight missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan and sending a drone toward the United Arab Emirates.
In a social media post Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump warned, “If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!”
The attacks on Kermanshah and Iran’s southern coast were launched a few hours later followed, in turn, by Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
Oil prices have spiked since the fighting resumed, with the benchmark West Texas Intermediate grade trading above $90 a barrel at midday Wednesday, up more than $7 compared to Friday’s closing price.
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Holliday WoodardSept. 2, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 28: Protesters hold a “No Kings” flag as they gather in Southeast Area and take part in rally and march on March 28, 2026 in Washington, DC. This is the third nationwide “No Kings” protest held against the Trump administration. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Warnings From Both Sides
President Trump wrote on social media Tuesday night, “I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight? President DJT”
The recently appointed head of Iran’s National Security Council taunted the Trump administration in his own social media post on Wednesday: “With these desperate struggles, not only will you fail to emerge from the hellish abyss you have created for yourselves, but you will soon see Iran’s new strategy – spanning the battlefield, diplomacy, and the counter-measures against economic siege – shatter your very foundations.”
