Moments before the attacks, Trump accused Iran of having taken “too long” to negotiate
This Wednesday, the United States began a new wave of attacks against multiple targets in Iran, for the second day in a row, announced the Central Command of the North American Armed Forces (CENTCOM).
In a publication on the social network X, CENTCOM stated that the operation was launched in response to what it classified as “Iran’s unjustified and continuous aggression”.
“US Central Command forces began today, at 10:15 p.m. (5:15 p.m. East Coast of the United States), launching additional self-defense strikes against multiple targets in Iran, by order of the Commander in Chief,” declared the military command.
US authorities present the attacks as a way of pressuring Tehran to accept an agreement to end the conflict between the two countries. However, the operation also increases the risk of a broader military escalation in the region.
Shortly before the bombings began, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Washington would target “critical installations” in Iran.
“Central Command is going to be very busy tonight because President Trump said we are going to hit Iran hard, and we are going to do it,” said Hegseth at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida. According to the official, Tehran had the opportunity to reach an agreement, but did not take advantage of this possibility.
“Instead of knocking on the door of an agreement, you will hear bombs falling on critical facilities in Iran from the United States of America,” he added.
Hegseth stressed that the attacks are not intended to “restart” a broader conflict, but rather to create conditions for reaching the type of agreement demanded by Donald Trump. Even so, he warned that tonight’s bombings would be “strong” and that, if it were necessary to repeat the operation the following night, it would again be “strong and clear”.
Also this Wednesday, Trump accused Iran of having taken “too long” to negotiate and announced new attacks.
“We are going to attack them, attack them very hard”, said the American president in the Oval Office. “We hit them hard yesterday. We’re going to hit them hard again today.”
Yesterday’s attacks occurred after a US helicopter was hit by an Iranian drone. The two crew members were forced to land off Oman and were rescued about two hours later by an unmanned vessel from the United States, according to CENTCOM.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported explosions in several regions of the country. The Mehr agency reported incidents in Minab, Sirik and western Tehran, where anti-aircraft defense systems were activated. Both regions are close to the Strait of Hormuz.
An explosion was also heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to Iranian state media, which did not provide further details about the incident.
The Iranian press also reported the activation of anti-aircraft defense systems in Asaluyeh, although it added that, so far, no enemy attack has been recorded against this important energy center.
Asaluyeh, located in Bushehr Province in the south of the country, is a port city located on the northern coast of the Persian Gulf and is home to some of Iran’s main refineries and petrochemical facilities. It is a region considered strategic for Iran’s energy industry, concentrating infrastructure linked to the exploration and processing of natural gas and oil.
The state agency IRNA also reported that there were explosions recorded on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam and were caused by “projectiles of a military nature”.
