The United States launched attacks against Iran early Thursday morning
A senior US official confirmed the start of military operations, following reports that air defense systems were activated in several regions of the country.
Defenses were activated, among other locations, in Fars province, on Qeshm Island, and in the capital, Tehran itself.
There were also reports of an explosion at a large petrochemical plant in Assaluyeh, responsible for about half of Iran’s petrochemical production.
Explosions were also heard on the islands of Kish and Qeshm, as well as in the Sirik region, near the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that its forces initiated “additional self-defense strikes” against several targets in Iran.
According to the statement, the strikes respond to Iran’s “unjustified and ongoing aggression.”
The bombings began minutes after U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reinforced President Donald Trump’s warning of possible military action.
Speaking to reporters at CENTCOM headquarters in Florida, Hegseth said the United States would “hit Iran hard.” He emphasized that the goal is not to restart a war, but to pressure Iran into accepting a deal.
Hegseth made it clear that the strikes would be “strong and clear” and that, if necessary, they would continue in the following nights.
“President Trump is ready to make a good deal.
Iran would be wise to accept it,” he stated.
Prior to Hegseth’s comments, the Axios website had reported that Trump had assembled a high-level team in the White House Situation Room to discuss a new round of military operations.
The idea would be to carry out large-scale, but limited-duration, strikes aimed at pressuring the Iranian government and changing its position in ongoing diplomatic negotiations.
Information on exact targets and the full timeline of the strikes has not yet been released.
Published in 06/10/2026 23h56
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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