The US launched a second round of strikes on Iran early on Thursday, hours after President Donald Trump threatened to hit the country "very hard" unless a peace deal was reached.
Iran responded with missile attacks on US-linked bases across the region and claimed it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a claim rejected by the US military.
War of words
- Mr Trump said on Wednesday that Iran's military had been "completely defeated" and the country was "dead", arguing Tehran had delayed negotiations and would now "have to pay the price".
- He later warned the US would attack Iran "very hard" if no peace deal is reached, citing the reported downing of an American Apache helicopter near the strait.
- Iran's UN envoy, Amir Iravani, told the Security Council that no "sustainable" agreement can be achieved through threats or force and said Tehran would "never submit" to pressure.
US strikes
- US Central Command said it launched a new wave of "self-defence" strikes at 1.15am Gulf time on Thursday in response to Iran's "unwarranted and continued aggression".
- Iranian state media reported strikes near Minab and Sirik on the southern coast, as well as explosions on Qeshm Island. Centcom said at 5.04am Gulf time it had completed operations, bombing Iranian surveillance, communications and air-defence systems.
Iranian retaliation
- Security alerts sounded across the region, with the US embassy in Amman urging people to shelter in place. Bahrain later issued an all-clear after a reported Iranian attack triggered warnings.
- The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it fired 12 ballistic missiles at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, claiming to have destroyed "a large number of fighter jets". The claim could not be independently verified.
- The IRGC also claimed attacks on 18 US military targets in Kuwait and Bahrain, while Tehran said it struck a US base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Neither claim was immediately confirmed.
- Centcom separately dismissed Iranian reports that a US warship had been hit in the Strait of Hormuz, saying at 3.42am Gulf time that no US warships had been struck.
Strait of Hormuz
- Iran's top military command announced the "complete closure" of the Strait of Hormuz, warning that vessels attempting to transit the waterway would come under fire.
- Centcom rejected the claim at 3.35am Gulf time, saying commercial shipping continued to move through the strait.
Regional fallout
- Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace early on Thursday, citing security concerns and risks to civilian aviation.
What we do not know
- The extent of casualties or damage from the latest US strikes and Iranian retaliation.
- Whether Iran will attempt to enforce its threat against vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
- Whether diplomacy remains possible, with Washington threatening further military action and Tehran refusing to negotiate under pressure.
