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Middle East crisis live: US launches fresh strikes on Iran after days-long pause in attacks

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The US has launched fresh airstrikes in Iran following a brief pause in attacks, responding to recent Iranian actions against US forces.
  • Iran had previously launched missiles at American military installations in Jordan and partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike militias in Iraq, resulting in casualties.
  • The renewed hostilities have increased oil prices and raised concerns about a potential return to all-out war, despite mediation efforts.

The United States has resumed airstrikes targeting Iran after a short lull, escalating tensions in the Middle East. These actions are framed as a direct response to recent Iranian attacks on US forces stationed in the region. President Donald Trump stated that America would respond forcefully, declaring, "We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming."

We’re going to be hitting them very hard, because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming.

— Donald TrumpStating the US intention to respond forcefully to Iranian attacks.

The US military confirmed the strikes were a "powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East." Earlier, Iran had launched missiles at American military installations in Jordan, marking its first regional attack since the fighting pause. Concurrently, the US collaborated with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq, reportedly killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East

— US militaryDescribing the justification for the recent airstrikes.

Further complicating the situation, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta. The perpetrators of these strikes on a US-owned facility and a Greek-owned tanker remain unclear, though any confirmed strike on Egypt by Iran or its allies would signify a significant expansion of the conflict. Trump cryptically responded to questions about Iran's involvement by saying, "It’s a little more of the same."

It’s a little more of the same.

— Donald TrumpResponding to questions about Iran's potential responsibility for strikes in Egypt.

The recent flare-up across multiple fronts, following a period of relative calm, heightens the risk of a full-scale war and underscores the difficulty in de-escalating the five-month conflict. The renewed hostilities have already impacted global markets, with Brent crude oil prices jumping 7.3% to $88 a barrel. Meanwhile, the Iraqi president's office condemned the US-Saudi airstrikes in eastern Iraq as "a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty."

a blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty

— Office of the Iraqi PresidentCondemning the US-Saudi airstrikes in Iraq.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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