US forces strike Iran for second straight day as Gulf tensions escalate

US forces launched a new round of strikes against Iran late Wednesday, marking the second consecutive day of military action by Washington against Tehran as tensions in the Gulf continued to escalate.

Explosions were reported overnight in several Iranian locations, including the port city of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar port, Bushehr and Abu Musa Island, according to Iranian media reports. Coastal defense systems near Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island and Bushehr were activated to intercept aerial targets in response to the US strikes.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed in a post on X that, under orders from President Donald Trump, US forces conducted strikes against Iran for a second straight day to "degrade" Iran's ability "to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz." A US official said the latest strikes were expected to be larger in scale than those conducted on Tuesday.

In an earlier post, CENTCOM said more than 20 US Navy warships were patrolling waters across the Middle East on Wednesday.

According to Iranian authorities, US strikes continued against ports in Hormozgan Province on Wednesday. Iranian reports said two fishermen were killed in missile strikes late Wednesday, while two others were injured and taken to hospital. The United States has not commented on the reports.

Iran has submitted separate letters to the president of the UN Security Council and the UN secretary-general over the US attacks, saying Washington's actions constituted "another blatant violation of Article 2, paragraph 4, of the UN Charter" and a fundamental breach of Article 1 of the Islamabad Agreement.

The latest strikes came after Trump warned earlier on Wednesday, at the NATO summit in Ankara, that the US military would likely launch further attacks on Iran.

"I'll give a little warning: We're going to hit them hard tonight," Trump said, while adding that he did not expect a full-scale conflict with Iran.

Iranian military sources said the country's missile and drone forces would soon launch a large-scale response against US military bases in the Middle East. Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, also said on social media that "aggressors and their accomplices" would face a severe response.

The latest confrontation followed a new round of exchanges between the two sides from Tuesday night into Wednesday. CENTCOM said on Tuesday that US forces had struck more than 80 Iranian targets in response to what Washington described as attacks by Iran on three commercial vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump warned on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday that Iran would face very serious consequences if it continued attacking ships. Tehran, however, accused Washington of violating a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the United States had challenged the provisions of the agreement through unilateral actions and military attacks, undermining the overall framework of the memorandum. He said Iran would continue to defend its national interests and exercise its sovereignty in accordance with international law.

Following Trump's remarks at the Ankara summit, Iran's Press TV, citing an informed source, reported that Tehran could close the Strait of Hormuz and strike twice as many targets if the United States launched further attacks.

The renewed military confrontation has raised concerns internationally, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling for immediate de-escalation.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday that "a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences – for the peoples of the region, for international peace and security, and for the global economy as a whole."

Guterres urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalation and take immediate steps toward de-escalation. He also called on Iran and the United States to resume negotiations and resolve outstanding issues through diplomacy.

Meanwhile, tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted global shipping. According to US assessments, tanker traffic through the strategic waterway has largely stopped amid uncertainty over the prospects of a 60-day ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.

Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at energy research firm Rystad Energy, said in a report on Wednesday that shipping activity appeared to be "completely stalled." He said market perceptions of risk were currently a stronger indicator of the situation than statements from either Washington or Tehran.

Global oil prices surged on Wednesday as uncertainty grew over whether the Strait of Hormuz could fully reopen.

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said hundreds of ships and around 6,000 seafarers remained stranded in the Gulf due to security concerns. He urged all relevant countries to exercise maximum restraint, immediately work toward de-escalation and assist vessels still trapped in the region to depart safely.

Li Zixin, an assistant researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said the immediate trigger for the US action was largely linked to the dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

He said opposition among US hawks had persisted over what they viewed as excessive concessions by Washington after the Iran-US memorandum was reached. Military action against Iran could help the White House strengthen domestic support, he added.

Li said the United States had maintained a strategy of using military pressure to push for negotiations. However, he warned that the timing of the escalation – coinciding with the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – could prompt Tehran to adopt a tougher response, leaving both sides with less room for diplomatic maneuvering or flexible crisis management.