The U.S. launched airstrikes against Iran Wednesday night and Iran retaliated with strikes targeting U.S. bases in the region as the Iran War entered its 153rd day on Thursday.
President Donald Trump had vowed to deliver a “beating” to Iran after it launched an attack on Tuesday against American positions in Jordan amid a pause in U.S. hostilities.
CENTCOM claimed its latest strikes targeted missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance, and other defense sites, while Iranian state media reported that a U.S. strike on a residential house in Qeshm killed three members of a family and injured two children. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said three of its members were killed.
Iran vowed to retaliate against U.S. strikes and said it would deliver a “harsh response” to regional states which support U.S. military operations. The IRGC said it attacked U.S. bases in Jordan and Kuwait overnight.
A drone attack in Egypt set fire to a U.S. gas storage tanker and another ship, the Egyptian government said Thursday. No casualties were reported and it’s not clear what nation or group was responsible for the attack.
A new poll from the Associated Press shows that only 33 percent of Americans believe the war with Iran has been worth fighting. Seventy-two percent of Americans say it’s “extremely/very important” to prevent U.S. oil and gas prices from rising, while 70 percent want Trump to negotiate a “permanent ceasefire” with Iran.
NBC reported Wednesday that Trump has grown “exasperated” on Iran. According to the report, Trump expressed frustration during a meeting with top national security officials amid disagreement within the administration about the best path forward.
Pakistani mediators said Thursday that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war were ongoing. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters that Pakistan is making “every effort to bring all parties back to the Islamabad Memorandum,” referring to the memorandum of understanding signed by the U.S. and Iran in June.
Beijing has secured safe passage for its tankers through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait via direct talks with the Yemeni Houthis, who have declared a maritime embargo targeting Saudi Arabia, according to new reports. China has reportedly continued to draw Iranian crude through ship-to-ship transfers off Malaysia despite the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, remaining the top customer for Iranian oil.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper “has prepared an option for a punishing air campaign against Iran that could take up to two weeks.” The Journal noted that “Cooper has maintained” that “if the U.S. wants military action to be effective… the U.S. must step up its air attacks, significantly blunting Iran’s missile threat, to try to break the stalemate,” calling this the “Go-Big” approach.
AAA reported the national average price of regular gas at $4.10. Oil prices have risen amid the resumption of hostilities.
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