Washington/Tehran (Web Desk/Agencies): The United States (US) and Iran exchanged fresh air attacks for a second consecutive day on Thursday, with President Donald Trump warning that Washington would launch more strikes unless Tehran immediately agreed to a peace deal.
The latest escalation began after a US Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, triggering retaliatory attacks by both sides.
The renewed fighting has put the fragile April ceasefire under severe strain and raised concerns about a prolonged conflict that began with large-scale US-Israeli air strikes on Iran in February.
The US military said its latest operation targeted Iranian surveillance systems, communications infrastructure and air defence sites, describing the attacks as a response to Iran's continued aggression. Trump reportedly said the strikes would soon end but warned that heavy bombing would resume if Iran refused to sign an agreement. His remarks pushed oil prices sharply higher.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 11, 2026
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched attacks on 18 US military targets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including the US Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters, and later fired 12 ballistic missiles at Jordan's al-Azraq air base for a second night. Kuwait and Bahrain reported that their air defence systems successfully engaged incoming threats.
The conflict also affected civilians. Two Indian seafarers, Aditya Sharma and Shivanand Chaurasiya, were killed and Chief Engineer Patnala Suresh remains missing after a US strike on the oil tanker Settebello near Oman. India summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission Jason Meeks and lodged a strong protest. CENTCOM said the vessel was carrying Iranian oil and had failed to comply with US instructions.
Kuwait later announced that air traffic and airport operations had returned to normal after precautionary measures were lifted.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated further after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and warned that vessels attempting to pass through it could come under attack. Iranian media reported that two US ships had been fired upon, a claim denied by US Central Command.
Explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, while US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying, "The strikes would advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position." He added, "We will strike them hard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision," and, "If we need to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs."
Although a ceasefire technically remains in place, both sides have repeatedly exchanged attacks while diplomatic efforts have failed to secure a lasting agreement.
Iran accused the US of targeting water reservoirs supplying 10 villages, prompting Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghei to say, "This is not collateral damage - it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights."
The war has killed thousands, disrupted nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies and driven energy prices higher. It has also created political pressure on the White House as rising fuel costs affect American voters.
Reports by The New York Times said satellite imagery indicated that US strikes near the Strait of Hormuz may have destroyed a drinking water facility in Hormozgan province, affecting more than 20,000 people. Weapons experts reportedly identified fragments from a US-made GBU-39 guided bomb at the site.
CENTCOM later confirmed additional strikes on Iranian surveillance, communication and air defence systems, saying they were conducted "in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression."
Elsewhere, fighting continued in Lebanon.
An Israeli drone struck a house in Nabatieh, while Israeli artillery shelled several nearby areas. Lebanese security sources said Israeli air strikes killed at least 13 people on Wednesday, while Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli forces.
The Israeli military reported that two projectiles landed near troops operating in southern Lebanon.
Iran's conditions for ending the conflict reportedly include an end to Israeli attacks in Lebanon, the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump, meanwhile, insists that Iran must stop restricting shipping through the waterway and agree not to develop nuclear weapons, an ambition Tehran continues to deny.