US launches major strikes on Iran as conflict sharply escalates

Photo — Masih Shahbazi / Pexels

Major international outlets report that the US military has launched extensive strikes on Iranian targets, described by US President Donald Trump as “large and powerful,” in response to earlier Iranian attacks, shattering a recent lull in direct confrontation between the two adversaries.[2][4][11] According to detailed accounts from Reuters and the Associated Press, the strikes hit multiple locations inside Iran, and Iranian officials say one of the US attacks hit a house hosting a wedding, killing five people and wounding dozens, claims that Tehran is using to rally domestic and regional support against Washington.[4][11] Iran has responded with missile and drone launches, and both sides are publicly signaling a willingness to escalate: US officials are threatening even more devastating operations if Iran continues, while Iranian leaders warn that any further American moves will be met with retaliation, raising fears of miscalculation that could disrupt oil flows through key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and pull in regional actors and global powers.[4][9][11] Analysts note that this confrontation is unfolding against a backdrop of stalled nuclear diplomacy and wider geopolitical tensions, leaving international mediators scrambling to prevent a slide into a broader war that could reshape security dynamics in the Middle East and jolt already fragile global markets.[4][9][11]

Sources: Reuters, Associated Press, NBC News, BBC News, The Guardian