U.S. launches fresh airstrikes in Iran

Barak Ravid

President Trump in a navy suit with a white shirt and red tie sits at a table, hands gesturing as he speaks. An American flag lapel pin is visible; blurred figures and flags in the background. — President Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday. Photo: Ken Cedeno/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. military began conducting airstrikes in Iran on Wednesday evening, U.S. Central Command confirmed in a statement.

Why it matters: These are the first U.S. strikes in Iran since President Trump paused the bombing campaign Friday to give negotiations another chance.

Wednesday's strikes came in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack targeting a U.S. base in Jordan on Tuesday. All of the Iranian missiles were intercepted, according to the U.S. military.
"The strikes are a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East," CENTCOM said.

Driving the news: Trump told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the U.S. would hit Iran "very hard" later in the day.

"It's our turn," Trump said.
He claimed Iran had acknowledged that launching the missiles was a mistake and had asked the U.S. not to retaliate.

The big picture: Trump paused the strikes Friday after 13 consecutive nights of attacks on Iranian military targets, opening a brief window for diplomacy.

Iran's missile attack shattered the pause and prompted Trump to resume the military campaign five days later.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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U.S. launches fresh airstrikes in Iran

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