WASHINGTON/TEHRAN – UNS : The United States carried out its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump declared he was “not finished” with the conflict, while Tehran warned of possible retaliation and kept diplomatic channels open through international mediators.
Fresh US strikes triggered Iranian air defence systems in Tehran, with state media reporting defensive activity in the capital as well as strikes in several parts of the country, including Bushehr, home to one of Iran’s nuclear power plants.
The US military said the latest operations targeted military logistics infrastructure and other strategic sites to further weaken Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump also indicated that additional targets remain under consideration, including the heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain complex near Natanz, which Western intelligence agencies suspect is linked to an undeclared uranium enrichment programme.
Despite the ongoing military campaign, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remains open to a diplomatic solution, but argued that Iran has not approached negotiations with sufficient seriousness.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that indirect diplomatic contacts with the United States are continuing through mediators, even as Iranian military officials warned that any further escalation could prompt a strong response.
The conflict, now approaching its fifth month, has placed increasing political pressure on President Trump ahead of November’s legislative elections. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war has already cost the United States approximately $37.5 billion, while defending a request for additional military funding.
