WASHINGTON-UNS : U.S. President Donald Trump has followed through on his warning of military action against Iran, ordering a series of large-scale strikes targeting facilities linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday that it had conducted the strikes in response to what it described as Iranian missile attacks against U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East on Wednesday.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), CENTCOM said the operation was “a strong response to Iranian attack attempts targeting U.S. forces in the region.”
Iranian state television, Press TV, reported explosions at multiple locations across southern Iran, while residents described widespread military activity during the early hours of Thursday morning.
CENTCOM later confirmed that U.S. forces had completed “an intense wave of strikes” against dozens of IRGC-linked targets, including military command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal defence and surveillance installations, as well as naval capabilities. The U.S. military did not disclose the exact number of targets struck.
Speaking from the Oval Office, President Trump defended the operation, saying, “We will hit them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. And they know it’s coming.”
The strikes followed an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Tuesday night targeting U.S. forces in the region. Jordan’s military said it intercepted five missiles during the incident.
According to U.S. military officials, the strikes targeted military infrastructure around Arvand Kenar in southwestern Iran, the strategically important islands of Abu Musa, Kish and Qeshm, and areas surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Officials said the U.S. military continues to prepare contingency plans for additional large-scale operations should President Trump authorise further action.
Reports indicate that over the past two weeks, President Trump approved military strike plans on a nightly basis, with operations carried out within hours of receiving authorisation.
Despite the latest offensive, Trump later told reporters at the White House that while he retained the option to continue or significantly escalate military action—including, in his words, “obliterating everything they have”—he believed that pursuing an agreement with Iran remained “the smartest strategy.”
According to U.S. officials, the objectives of the operation were to counter Iranian attacks, protect American forces deployed across the Middle East, safeguard international maritime shipping routes, and reduce the IRGC’s ability to launch further retaliatory strikes.
