What Is Happening in Iran? The 24 Hours That Shook the Middle East

The Middle East moved closer to a wider regional conflict over the past 24 hours as the United States and Iran exchanged major military strikes, raising fears that their fragile ceasefire agreement is on the verge of collapse.

Washington launched a second consecutive day of attacks on Iranian military targets, saying the operation was intended to weaken Tehran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes hit military sites across several provinces, including Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar, Konarak, Iranshahr and Aq Qala, making this the broadest US operation inside Iran since the ceasefire took effect.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck around 90 military targets, including air defence systems, coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone storage sites, naval assets and military logistics infrastructure along Iran's southern coastline. US forces also targeted two railway bridges, marking the first direct strike on Iranian transport infrastructure since hostilities were suspended in April.

Iranian authorities reported casualties from the attacks. State media said at least 14 people were killed and 78 others injured across five provinces, while officials confirmed damage to military facilities and transport infrastructure.

President Donald Trump defended the military operation, describing it as a response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any future assault on international shipping would trigger an even stronger American response, adding that Iranian officials were still seeking a diplomatic agreement despite the escalation.

Tehran responded by launching drones and missiles against US military facilities across the Gulf. Iranian officials claimed attacks targeted American military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, while Gulf countries activated their air defence systems to intercept incoming threats. Kuwait announced it had intercepted ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and multiple drones, while Bahrain sounded nationwide warning sirens as a precaution.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later claimed responsibility for strikes on US bases at Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, Al Jufair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain, as well as Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan. It warned that any further US military action would expand the conflict to additional American bases across the Middle East.

Beyond the battlefield, both Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating the ceasefire memorandum that ended previous fighting. The central dispute centres on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran argues it has the authority to regulate the passage of commercial vessels through the strategic waterway, while the United States insists freedom of navigation must remain unrestricted under the ceasefire agreement.

The latest military exchanges have significantly increased tensions across the Gulf, raising concerns that diplomacy is rapidly giving way to another direct confrontation between the United States and Iran, with potentially far-reaching consequences for regional security, global energy supplies and international shipping.