Tehran (AFP) - Iran on Wednesday launched attacks on American military bases across the region in response to a round of American strikes against it, in a new escalation that expanded the scope of the confrontation as diplomatic efforts to end the war faltered.

Published on: 02/09/2026 - 08:11 Last updated: 02/09/2026 - 22:39

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is ready to attack Iran again, after a large-scale bombing of sites across the country killed at least 19 Iranians.

"Last night we destroyed much more than their radar," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It was a very severe attack, and we are ready to launch another attack any time we want."

As Trump threatened harsher strikes on Iran, the head of the Iranian Shura Council and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, described the United States as a “devil,” with Israel on the verge of threatening to strike the Islamic Republic if Tehran targets it.

The US Central Command for the Middle East (Centcom) said that its forces struck targets belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, which included “air defense sites, radar systems, naval assets and installations, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites,” announcing the end of this round of strikes.

After that, Iran said it launched a “decisive” operation in response to these attacks, targeting “American bases and interests in the region,” according to Tasnim news agency.

The Revolutionary Guard announced that it bombed American sites in Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait, and launched “a combined attack with missiles and drones on American bases in Erbil, which led to the destruction of a maintenance center and warehouses for technical equipment,” in addition to “the American spy balloon guidance system inside the base.”

Later, the Iranian Armed Forces said that “dozens of attack drones (..) targeted radar systems and sites of American forces at the Al Dhafra and Al Minhad bases in the UAE,” in addition to other sites at the Sheikh Issa Air Base in Bahrain.

Ghazlan Saad, a Bahraini mother of two children, said that the sirens woke her family in the middle of the night, “which brought back memories of the attacks, fear and anxiety,” adding, “I hope the situation stabilizes quickly, especially since the school year has just begun after a year marred by war.”

For its part, the Jordanian army announced that it shot down ten missiles, while three fell in uninhabited areas. Kuwait announced that it had been subjected to attacks by missiles and drones, and indicated that a fire had been extinguished after an Iranian drone targeted a “residential complex” in the capital.

Israeli threat

In Israel, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz threatened Iran to respond “with great force” to any attack it might launch against the Hebrew state.

Katz said during a conference hosted by the Ynet website and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, “At the present time, they are launching strikes throughout the region, excluding us... but there is a possibility that they will attack us, and we are prepared for that defensively.”

He added that Israel would respond, if it was attacked, "independently of any other party," stressing that Israeli planes were "ready to take off."

He also pointed out the possibility that Iran would exploit the Jewish holidays that begin in mid-September to launch attacks, stressing his country's defensive and offensive readiness, in coordination with the United States.

Israel has so far remained away from participating in rounds of exchanges of strikes between Washington and Tehran since the ceasefire agreement in April.

Wedding

The American strikes left 19 people dead, one of the highest human losses in months.

State media reported that 11 people were killed, including four at a wedding in the country's southeastern Serik province and seven in the western Khuzestan region. About 70 people were injured at the wedding party.

Ali Malahi said that the bombing hit a residential building while his daughter's wedding was taking place. He added, "I don't know what to say. Thank God the number of victims was not higher."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry considered this strike a “war crime,” accusing Washington of trying to hide its failure in the war.

The US military did not comment on the incident, but stressed that it "does not target civilians at all."

The Revolutionary Guard announced the killing of four of its members, in addition to four Basij forces.

For his part, Qalibaf described the United States in a post on X as “the devil,” accusing it of killing children and civilians in Minab and Lamerd and the wedding party in Kohstak.

Iranian Central Military Command spokesman Ibrahim Zulfaghari vowed “wider and more destructive” responses if the American attacks continued, warning any country against cooperating with Washington.

For his part, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, hinted at a “new Iranian strategy” in the field, diplomacy, and confronting economic sanctions.

He wrote on the "X" platform, addressing Washington, "You will soon see that Iran's new strategy in the field, diplomacy, and in the face of the economic embargo, will destroy your foundations."

Trump had vowed to carry out "much stronger and stronger" strikes if Iran responded to the American attack, indicating that he preferred the current situation, stressing that his country had complete control over the Strait of Hormuz and that the Iranian economy was collapsing.

"Trump Strait"

In the Strait of Hormuz, which the US President proposed on Wednesday to rename it “Trump Strait,” two Filipino sailors were killed in an attack on a Saudi oil tanker on Monday, according to what the Saudi company operating the ship reported on Wednesday, in light of the new escalation.

The Greek Maritime Affairs Agency announced before the start of the US strikes on Tuesday that two oil tankers were hit by "projectiles of unknown origin" as they were leaving the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran said that the two tankers caught fire after colliding with mines.

The developments resulted in a sharp rise in oil and gas prices, as the price of US West Texas Intermediate crude exceeded $90 per barrel for the first time since late July, while the price of European gas reached its highest levels in more than three years.

On Sunday, the United States launched strikes for the first time in more than a month against military targets on an Iranian island. Iran then responded by targeting American targets in Jordan and the UAE.

Iran has effectively closed this strategic corridor since the beginning of the war, and is seeking to impose a "services allowance" on passing ships, which Washington rejects.

As the diplomatic track faltered, the United States launched a campaign aimed at "stifling" Iran's economy, including sanctions on anyone who does business with Tehran.

The Iranian authorities called on their citizens on Tuesday to reduce gasoline consumption, in light of import difficulties due to the US blockade on its ports.

© 2026 AFP

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