The United States launched a series of airstrikes against targets inside Iran early Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the conflict after President Donald Trump vowed swift retaliation for Iran’s overnight attack on U.S. forces stationed in Jordan.
According to a senior U.S. official cited by Channel 12 News, American forces began striking targets across Iran during the early morning hours.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, stating, “US forces began launching strikes against Iran at 8 p.m. ET today. The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.”
Iranian media reported explosions in several parts of the country, including Nurabad in Fars Province, the southern port city of Sirik, and the city of Ahvaz.
Additional reports from Iranian outlets later said that three blasts were heard on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, while another explosion was reported in Bushehr.
The military action came just hours after Trump declared that the United States would respond forcefully to Iran’s attack on American bases in Jordan the previous night.
“We are going to hit them very hard. I can say that because there is very little they can do about it,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.
“We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming, they’re asking us not to do it. They tried shooting last night…we had five rockets shot going 8,500 mph, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground – but they nevertheless took a shot, so it’s our turn,” Trump stated.
Earlier, Trump told Fox News, “We are going to beat the ing out of them.”
He added, “We’ll be hitting them hard. They are going to get a beating.”
Trump described Iran’s missile barrage as an unexpected assault, saying U.S. forces had only minutes to intercept the incoming projectiles before they reached their targets.
Just before the latest round of strikes began, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was weighing whether to expand the military campaign against Tehran. According to the report, U.S. military planners had prepared options for an intensive aerial operation lasting between 10 and 14 days, aimed primarily at destroying Iran’s missile capabilities.
A U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that, as of Wednesday afternoon, Trump had not yet made a final determination regarding either the scale of the operation or the specific targets that could be struck.
The same official said Trump was “not surprised” by Tehran’s decision to restart hostilities and described the president as being “in an escalatory mood” while senior administration officials continued evaluating the next phase of the U.S. response.
{Matzav.com}