The US military launched multiple self-defense air strikes against Iran on June 9 and June 10, targeting Iranian military sites including air defenses, radars, and drone command and control units, the US Central Command said [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The strikes began each day around 5:00 to 5:15 p.m. Eastern Time, with the second round confirmed to start at 5:15 p.m. on June 10 [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The strikes were conducted in response to Iran's downing of a US Army Apache helicopter on June 9 and what the US described as Iran's "unwarranted and continued aggression" [1, 2, 4, 8, 7]. US President Donald Trump asserted, "We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them hard again today," and called the mission a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression" [1, 7]. Trump also accused Iran of delaying peace talks and warned they "will have to pay the price" for failing to negotiate [9].
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes targeted "key facilities" and aimed to push Iran toward a permanent ceasefire. He warned, "CENTCOM — Central Command — will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard, and we will be," emphasizing the strikes would be "strong" and "clear" [5, 9]. United States Central Command released video footage showing warships firing missiles on Iranian military surveillance and air defense targets during the strikes [10].
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have retaliated by striking US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan following the US attacks [9]. Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz completely closed to all vessel traffic after the strikes, causing oil price volatility [1, 4, 9]. However, US Central Command said commercial shipping continued to pass through the Strait, with more than 200 ships and over 100 million barrels of oil transiting during the strikes [1, 2]. Explosions were reported in southern Iranian cities near the Strait such as Bandar Abbas, Qeshm island, Sirik, Minab, and Gorgan during the attacks [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
Oil prices surged sharply on news of the fighting and closure announcement. Brent crude rose above $95 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate climbed to $92.39 per barrel [1, 4]. Iranian authorities also reported restoring water services to communities affected by damage to reservoirs in Hormozgan province caused by the strikes [9].
The ceasefire reached in April 2026 between the US and Iran has collapsed, with renewed fighting and intermittent air strikes ongoing [1, 2, 4, 5]. US President Trump repeated that the US would "hit Iran hard" repeatedly if no peace deal was reached and boasted of control over the Strait of Hormuz [1, 2, 4, 6, 7].
The US has not announced plans for further strikes, but Pentagon officials hinted additional attacks could occur if Iranian aggression continues. Monitoring of the Strait of Hormuz and regional developments remains underway.
