The U.S. launched strikes against Iran late Wednesday afternoon after President Donald Trump earlier said the military would strike the country “very hard.”
U.S. Central Command wrote that the strikes began at 5:15 p.m. ET, which was 12:45 a.m. Thursday morning in Iran. The New York Times reported that explosions were heard in Qeshm and Kish Islands near the Strait of Hormuz. Cities like Minab and Sirik also reported strikes.
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Shortly before the strikes began, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters in Florida that the new strikes were an attempt to pressure Iran into negotiating a more agreeable peace deal with the U.S.
“If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs,” Hegseth said. “And we’re very good at it. Nobody better in the world.”
The strikes come a day after the U.S. said Iran downed an Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. In a post on Truth Social Wednesday morning, Trump said Iran would “pay the price” because it took too long to negotiate a deal, while disparaging the country’s military.
“Iran’s Military is a complete and total mess,” Trump wrote. “Much of it, like their Navy and Air Force, doesn’t even exist anymore – They have been completely defeated. Iran is all talk and no action.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the proposed attacks, saying the U.S. is threatening to target civilian infrastructure in its latest strikes.
“Critical infrastructures are the lifeblood of the people,” he wrote. “Threats to target them—from transportation networks to the electricity and water industries—are not a show of strength but a sign of desperation in the face of a nation’s will.”
Pezeshkian said Iran would “stand firm against any pressure or threat.”
The U.S. military claimed responsibility for disabling an oil tanker on Wednesday that it said violated the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The ship was owned by Palau, a small island country in Oceania. India condemned the attack, saying three of the crew were still missing.
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