The United States military carried out airstrikes against approximately 90 Iranian military targets on Wednesday, hitting air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities and military logistics infrastructure along Iran's coastline. Iran retaliated with waves of strikes against U.S.-allied nations in the region, triggering air raid sirens in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and later Jordan. U.S. Central Command released footage appearing to show strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers, and said Thursday it had concluded its latest round of attacks.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes as a "grave war crime," accusing Washington of targeting civilian infrastructure including two railway bridges in Golestan province, on the route to Mashhad where Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was being buried Thursday. The Iranian Health Ministry reported at least 14 people killed and 78 wounded across two days of attacks. A U.S. official denied striking the Bushehr nuclear power plant after an Iranian local official claimed an airstrike hit its perimeter, and also denied that further U.S. offensive strikes had been carried out on Thursday, stating the military had only been shooting down incoming Iranian projectiles. Falling debris from interceptions caused some damage, including to a non-U.S. building near the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.

The escalation unfolded as thousands of mourners in black filled the streets of Mashhad for the final day of funeral ceremonies for Khamenei, whose coffin was carried to the Imam Reza shrine for burial. His brother Mostafa Khamenei led prayers over the coffin. Iran's new Supreme Leader is Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son.

The fighting represents a sharp escalation of a conflict launched by the United States and Israel in February 2026. The two sides had reached an interim ceasefire agreement, but repeated exchanges of fire — including a similar cycle in late June triggered by an Iranian attack on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz — have repeatedly pushed the deal to the brink. President Trump said he considered the ceasefire effectively over following Iranian attacks on Strait of Hormuz shipping that preceded the latest U.S. strikes.

The back-and-forth raises serious doubts about whether Washington and Tehran remain committed to negotiating a final agreement to end the war. With the ceasefire under severe strain, U.S. allies across the Gulf on heightened alert and Iran's new leadership just assuming power, diplomats and analysts face uncertainty over whether any framework for de-escalation remains viable in the near term.