DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help in the Middle East.
Back-and-forth attacks, including a day earlier, have , but Thursday鈥檚 appeared bigger all around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy鈥檚 5th Fleet headquarters, and missiles targeting Kuwait and Qatar.
Sirens sounded Thursday afternoon in Jordan as well, where the U.S. has stationed troops and aircraft.
The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in signaled the end of and threatened to escalate the conflict if they didn’t stop. That raised concerns that the region could tip back into a war that would engulf several countries and could halt energy shipments through the strait that are crucial for the global economy.
In Iran, the two days of American airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded another 78, Iran鈥檚 Health Ministry said Thursday 鈥� most of those reportedly members of the armed forces.
In Kuwait, the military said falling debris wounded one person as it shot down three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 10 drones. Bahrain said it shot down incoming fire, without elaborating. There was no immediate word of damage in Qatar.
US strikes hit more targets
The U.S. military鈥檚 Central Command said it hit some 90 targets across Iran, releasing black-and-white footage of what appeared to be strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers.
The U.S. said the strikes were intended to 鈥渇urther degrade鈥� Iran鈥檚 ability 鈥渢o threaten freedom of navigation鈥� in the strait, through which a fifth of the world鈥檚 traded oil and natural gas passed before with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.
Attacks on ships 鈥� and the threat of them 鈥� virtually halted traffic in the waterway during the conflict, causing the price of oil to skyrocket and raising prices on many basic goods, including food, far beyond the region.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, home to , and southern port cities.
In Iran鈥檚 southwestern Khuzestan province, at least three people were killed Thursday, state media reported. In Iranshahr, authorities said a strike killed a firefighter at an airport. Those fatalities followed the deaths of at least nine members of Iran鈥檚 armed forces in Wednesday鈥檚 strikes, according to state media. It wasn鈥檛 clear when the other death happened and who was killed.
For the first time since April, U.S. strikes also appeared to target Iranian bridges. State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Iran鈥檚 northeastern Golestan province, and the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges were attacked on the route to Mashhad, where officials plan to bury on Thursday.
Trump warns that 鈥榠t will get much worse鈥� if attacks on shipping happen again
After leaving in Turkey, Trump posted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions in Iran and issued another warning to the Islamic Republic.
鈥淭his is in retribution for yesterday鈥檚 bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!鈥� Trump wrote.
Trump said earlier in the day that the latest back-and-forth fighting would not result in 鈥渓ong-term鈥� military action.
鈥淎nything that happens is going to happen very fast,鈥� Trump said.
Trump also renewed to hit Iran鈥檚 civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants, and to seize , through which some 90% of Iranian oil exports pass.
The exchange of fire began after Iran attacked three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
The new attacks, despite the ceasefire, could reflect a divide among Iran鈥檚 leadership. Hard-liners want to ensure lasting control over the waterway, which is a globally important conduit for fuel shipments and has become a critical lever in confronting the West. Pragmatists want a permanent peace deal to lift international sanctions and provide economic relief.
, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent end to the war, was defiant in a post on X on Thursday morning: 鈥淎merica still hasn鈥檛 learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: If you strike, you鈥檒l get hit.鈥�
Strikes raise fears that war could resume
Trump fueled concerns that the war could restart by saying Wednesday that the interim agreement to pause the fighting was 鈥渙ver.鈥� He added that he would allow negotiations to continue, though he cast doubt on the outcome.
鈥淭hey can talk, but I think they鈥檙e wasting their time,鈥� he said.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, also a top negotiator, retorted on X that Trump鈥檚 remarks 鈥渁re not a sign of power but an admission of the failure鈥� of U.S. policy toward Iran.
Negotiations to reach a final deal were due to start after the funeral for , who was killed in the war鈥檚 first moments. The funeral, which ends Thursday, was supposed to be a period of lower tensions.
The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back .
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