US Launches 11th Night of Strikes on Iran Triggering Tehran Air Defenses
The US conducted its 11th consecutive night of Iran strikes, triggering air defenses and explosions in Tehran as President Trump threatened further attacks on an underground nuclear site near Natanz. [1] [3]
Latest US Strikes Trigger Air Defenses in Tehran
Fresh US strikes triggered air defences in Tehran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump warned he was “not finished” with a war on Iran. [1] Iranian state media reported explosions and air defense activity in Tehran, Tabriz, Bushehr, Chabahar, Konarak, and other locations. [2] [3] State TV posted on Telegram that air defence activity was heard in the west, east and northeast of Tehran. [1] US Central Command stated the strikes targeted military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure. [3] Iranian state media reported strikes around the country, including Bushehr, which hosts a nuclear power plant. [1] The US military said on Tuesday it had launched an eleventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran. [1]
Trump Threatens Attack on Underground Nuclear Site
Trump said on Tuesday that the next US target could be an underground complex known as Pickaxe Mountain, a subterranean nuclear site near Natanz where Western intelligence suspects Iran is building an undeclared enrichment facility. [1] [3] Trump warned that the next target could be the Pickaxe Mountain underground nuclear complex. [3] He stated the US was “not finished” with the conflict. [1] Trump added that he would not normally announce targets but “there’s not a thing they can do about it.” [3] Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya command threatened reprisals against US, allied, and supporter interests if the nuclear site is hit, calling it an expansion of the war. [1] [3] Iran threatened reprisals, with the Khatam Al-Anbiya military command saying it would “consider it as an expansion of war in the region” if such an attack were carried out. [1]
US Military Objectives in the Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command stated the strikes targeted military operations centers, maritime capabilities, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities, and military logistics infrastructure to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. [1] [3] Centcom said the wave of strikes were “designed to continue degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping” in the Strait of Hormuz. [3] It also accused Iran of attacking “more than 30 commercial vessels” passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the past three months. [3] The Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that two tankers attempting to transit the strait “were hit by explosions, resulting in massive fires that brought them to a standstill.” [1] The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency earlier reported that an “unknown projectile” struck a tanker off the coast of Oman. [1]
Iranian Retaliation Against Gulf Allies
Iran launched drone and missile attacks on US-allied states including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, which reported interceptions. [1] [3] Kuwait’s army said on Wednesday its air defences were engaging with drone attacks from Iran. [1] Bahrain said on Tuesday it intercepted Iranian attacks as sirens sounded repeatedly, while Kuwait and Jordan said they had intercepted drone and missile strikes. [1] The Iranian army had said it targeted US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, including air defence systems, radar installations and administrative buildings. [1] “With this radar sweep, the enemy should prepare for even more decisive and powerful waves of drone and missile attacks,” the Guards said in a statement carried by state news agency IRNA. [1]
Houthi Threats and Regional Repercussions
Trump said he would “take care of” Yemen’s Houthi rebels if they followed through on a threat on Monday to blockade Saudi Arabia’s ports. [1] [3] A Houthi media official had earlier said they were closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi vessels. [3] Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the threat from what it called the “terrorist Houthi militia.” [1] Maritime intelligence provider Vanguard Tech said a Singapore-flagged tanker and a Liberia-flagged tanker both “reversed course” in the Red Sea after loading crude at the Saudi port of Yanbu. [1] The Red Sea has become crucial for oil shipments from Saudi Arabia during the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. [3]
War Costs, Political Pressure, and Mediation Efforts
The conflict, now nearing five months, has cost the US $37.5 billion according to Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth. [1] [4] As the war nears the five-month mark and November legislative elections approach, Trump has faced intense political pressure to end the conflict. [1] Hegseth said military training would have to be curtailed unless lawmakers approved an urgent funding boost. [3] Despite the fighting, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said diplomatic exchanges with Washington through mediators were continuing. [1] With Pakistan leading mediation efforts, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also called for restraint during a meeting with Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni on Tuesday. [1] He urged all sides to “refrain from actions that could further destabilise the region.” [1]
What to watch next: Observers are monitoring whether diplomatic exchanges through mediators including Pakistan lead to any new proposals for restraint as both sides continue to exchange threats over key waterways.
