US strikes Iran for second straight night as Trump escalates military pressure
The U.S. military launched a second wave of strikes on Iranian military targets Wednesday night at President Trump's direction, targeting radar, air defense sites, and surveillance capabilities. The strikes came hours after Trump warned Iran it would have to "pay the price" for delaying negotiations on a ceasefire deal.
What Happened
CENTCOM began "launching additional self-defense strikes" against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief's direction on Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. ET, according to military announcements. The strikes were completed at 9:04 p.m. ET, with CENTCOM hitting Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites.
This marks the second consecutive day of U.S. strikes on Iran. The U.S. struck Iranian radar and air defense sites Tuesday evening in response to the downing of a U.S. helicopter, but those strikes were calibrated to avoid casualties and leave open the possibility of a deal.
Trump's Escalation and Negotiation Strategy
Trump met Wednesday with officials including Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday at CENTCOM headquarters that "CENTCOM will be busy tonight because we are going to hit Iran hard".
Trump earlier said the U.S. will hit Iran "hard again today," escalating his threats while pressing Tehran to sign a deal. One option Trump was considering was an operation that would be big in scale but short in duration, with the aim of pressing Iran to change its position in the negotiations.
International Tensions and Blockade
Iranian state media reported that Iran had targeted U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz with missile and drone attacks, and Iran's top military command completely closed the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any vessel attempting to cross would be targeted. Iran's Tasnim News Agency cited a military source as promising "heavy responses," and although it wasn't immediately clear whether the Iranian drones had hit the 5th Fleet, Bahrain's Interior Ministry said alarm sirens had sounded.
Oil prices rose and U.S. stock futures fell after Trump's comments, with U.S. crude climbing nearly 2% to $89.72 per barrel and Brent rising 1.3% to $92.74, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 600 points.
What's Next
Trump told Fox News that he spoke directly with Iranian officials, who he said asked him to stop the strikes, and he said the bombing would stop shortly while leaving the door open for further military action.