US launches major strikes against Iran for first time since late July

Washington: The US military launched its first major strikes against Iran in more than a month, prompting the regime to fire missiles at US assets in Jordan, as the war dramatically reignited on its six-month anniversary.

US strikes began at 7.30pm Tehran time on Tuesday (2am Wednesday AEST), Central Command said. “The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region.”

Iranian state-run media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas, and other locations along the country’s coastline. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting alleged the US attacked a fishmeal factory in Qeshm “and several non-military targets” in Hormozgan province.

Iran also said US strikes killed or injured as many as 50 civilians at a wedding in Kuhestak, a coastal city on the strait. It was not immediately clear how many were killed, but reports indicated as many as five, including at least one child.

Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, counted it among a “catalogue of atrocities” he said had been perpetrated by the US, including the bombing of a girls’ school on the first day of the war, killing 175. The US has never officially acknowledged responsibility for that strike.

“More dangerous than the bomb itself is the normalisation of bombing; and more dangerous than silence is the conversion of silence into legitimacy,” Baghaei said on X. “Iran will respond to these savage crimes with firmness.”

Semi-official Iranian media outlets reported the regime had launched missiles and drones at US assets in retaliation. PressTV published a statement attributed to the country’s military command vowing to inflict “crushing and devastating blows upon the vile and evil American enemy”.

A separate statement from the IRGC that appeared on Iranian television claimed a successful attack on Camp Titin, a facility in Jordan used by US and Jordanian marines. Reuters reported no casualties had been recorded so far, citing two US officials. Central Command did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Meanwhile, Jordan’s armed forces said 10 of 13 ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards Jordan were intercepted and destroyed, while the other three fell outside populated areas.

The last time the US military announced major strikes against Iran was on July 29, although it conducted “limited, precise actions” against Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump described the US strikes as “large and powerful” in a social media post.