The Japan Times - US renews Iran attacks as Trump vows to hit 'hard'

US Central Command said American forces began "additional self-defense strikes" at 5:15 pm Washington time against multiple targets in Iran, in response to what it called Tehran's "unwarranted and continued aggression."

Iranian media reported explosions across the country's south near the Strait of Hormuz, the same area where US forces had already bombarded air defense, radar and other sites on Tuesday.

Iranian sources reported hits by "enemy projectiles" in Qeshm, Kargan and Sirik.

The second straight day of US attacks followed Trump's complaint that Tehran's negotiators were "playing us for suckers."

"We hit them hard yesterday. We're going to hit them again hard today," Trump told reporters. "We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested the strikes could extend into a third night, saying they would be "strong" and "clear."

The escalation drew international calls for restraint on the eve of the World Cup, which the US is co-hosting and Iran is participating in.

UN chief Antonio Guterres cautioned against a return to "full war."

Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani rejected Trump's threat, saying "no sustainable deal can be reached through threats, intimidation, or the use of force."

But diplomacy had not collapsed entirely, with Qatari negotiators traveling to Tehran "to meet with the Iranians in an effort to bridge the remaining gaps," a diplomat with knowledge of the situation said.

The war began at the end of February with massive US-Israeli strikes on Iran, rattling the region and global markets before an increasingly shaky truce took effect.

The conflict has driven energy prices higher since Tehran retaliated by virtually closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil normally passes.

Trump said Wednesday that the US military had secretly helped 100 million barrels of oil pass through the contested strait.

Global stocks mostly fell Wednesday as renewed fighting, higher US inflation and weakness in technology shares weighed on sentiment, while oil prices climbed about two percent.

- Gulf on alert -

Iran said it attacked American bases in Jordan and Bahrain on Tuesday after US strikes on the Islamic republic in retaliation for the earlier downing of a helicopter.

The Apache was the second crewed aircraft Washington has confirmed losing to Iranian fire during the war. Its two crew members were rescued, the US military said.

Bahrain said it intercepted and destroyed "a number of Iranian aerial attacks," while Jordan said it shot down five missiles, with no casualties or damage.

Kuwait's military said its air defenses were also engaging "hostile aerial targets."

Tehran's foreign ministry warned neighboring states against letting the US or Israel use their territory for attacks.

The US military also said an American warplane fired on and disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to carry Iranian oil in violation of a US blockade.

The violence also drew calls for de-escalation from Iranian allies Russia and China.

China urged both sides to "stop intensifying the conflict and escalating the situation."

Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must include a truce in Lebanon, drawn into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2.

Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion that have killed more than 3,600 people, while exchanges with Hezbollah have continued despite a nominal truce.

A medical source told AFP that Israeli strikes on south Lebanon killed 12 people on Wednesday.

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S.Yamada--JT