President Donald Trump accused Iran of delaying negotiations and warned it would “have to pay the price”.
The latest exchange has raised fresh doubts over diplomatic efforts.
Iran said it would reassess engagement with Washington and warning that stable conditions are necessary for negotiations.
Trump Warns Iran Will ‘Pay the Price’ After Fresh Military Escalation in West Asia
The strikes were carried out in retaliation for U.S. attacks on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, which Washington said were a response to the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter.
Summary
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Iran of delaying negotiations and warned that Tehran would now "have to pay the price," as tensions escalated following overnight exchanges of fire between the two countries.
Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian positions around the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest confrontation followed Trump's claim that Iran had shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter near the strategic waterway. The incident marks one of the most serious escalations since Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in April.
"Iran is all talk and no action," Trump wrote in a social media post. "They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"
The U.S. military said it had carried out strikes on Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar facilities, describing the operation as a "proportional response" to the downing of the helicopter. Both crew members were rescued.
Jordan and several Gulf states activated their air defence systems to intercept incoming missiles. There were no immediate reports of damage at U.S. military installations.
The escalation came only days after Iran and Israel exchanged strikes for the first time since the April ceasefire, further clouding prospects for a broader agreement to end the conflict that began on February 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Iran signalled that the latest developments could affect diplomatic efforts with Washington.
"Any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, adding that Tehran would "reassess" its diplomatic engagement with the United States following what it described as repeated ceasefire violations.
According to U.S. Central Command, the military operation lasted around four hours and concluded shortly before 9 p.m. ET (0100 GMT Wednesday). A U.S. official said nearly 20 Iranian targets were struck.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the attacks targeted Qeshm Island and the port of Sirik. Iranian media also reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and later near Jask, located at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.
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(Reuters reported)
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