The United States military has conducted its eleventh consecutive night of airstrikes against Iranian targets, focusing on locations in the southern and western regions of the nation. President Donald Trump characterized Iran as “desperate” for negotiations and indicated a potential heavy strike on a suspected new nuclear site linked to Iran’s program. The conflict has escalated beyond the US and Iran, with a desalination facility and power plants in Kuwait igniting following new Iranian attacks, while Bahrain and Jordan also faced assaults. Iranian authorities reported that two tankers, which allegedly navigated an unsafe route through the Strait of Hormuz, were set ablaze. Additionally, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, exacerbating the strain on global energy supplies, leading to two Saudi oil tankers altering their routes in the Red Sea in response to Houthi threats.
Trump suggested that the US might soon target Pickaxe Mountain, an underground site believed to be associated with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran has warned that any assault on its nuclear facilities would signify an escalation of the conflict. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed Congress that the war has incurred costs of approximately $37.5 billion, although experts suggest the actual expenses could be significantly higher, as he and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine sought additional funding from lawmakers.
The IRIB state broadcaster reported that the deputy governor of Sistan and Baluchestan confirmed attacks on southeastern cities. The official stated, “The attacks occurred this morning in the Chabahar and Konarak areas, and the situation is under control.”
According to the US Central Command, the military’s recent strikes targeted Iranian command centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, logistics infrastructure, and drone storage. The US has also confirmed that a third service member is presumed dead following a Friday attack on a Jordanian base, identifying the individual as Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, from New York. This raises the total number of US service members killed since the onset of the conflict to 18.
On Monday, the Pentagon announced the identities of the other two soldiers killed in the same attack: 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, from Carrollton, Texas. They were victims of Iranian missile and drone strikes, marking the first US troop fatalities from direct Iranian fire since the war began.
In early trading on Wednesday, oil prices rose amid heightened concerns over potential supply disruptions, following the US military’s continued offensive against Iranian military targets and reports of drone attacks on Kuwait. Brent crude futures increased by 0.55%, or 50 cents, reaching $91.51, while US West Texas Intermediate crude saw a 0.36% rise, or 30 cents, to $84.64, amid low trading volume. This uptick follows a five-week high in oil prices after the US strikes in southern and western Iran and Iranian attacks on US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
The US military’s latest strikes began late Tuesday in the US, or early Wednesday in Iran, coinciding with reports from the Kuwaiti army of intercepting Iranian drones. Meanwhile, a congressional rules panel declined to permit a vote on an amendment aimed at enhancing US-Israeli military cooperation, as noted by representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. Massie expressed on X that the section addressing the integration of US military technology and supply chains with Israel’s was not opened for debate or voting.
Khanna mentioned in a video that lawmakers were not given the opportunity to vote on halting co-production of weapons between the two nations. He stated that their next course of action would involve advocating for the removal of this provision during negotiations between the House and Senate.
Reports from the Fars news agency indicate several explosions near the southern area of Tabriz in northwestern Iran, while residents in northeastern Tehran have reported air defense activity.
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