U.S. military strikes Iran, while Trump vows more for Tehran's retaliation

FILE - A small boat sails past cargo ships and other commercial vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP hide caption

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military hit targets in Iran on Tuesday and Tehran fired missiles and drones at various sites across the region in response as hostilities flare once again in an intermittent war that has lasted more than six months. One U.S. strike hit a home hosting a wedding, killing five people and wounding dozens, local officials said.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Tuesday evening that it had completed the latest barrage against Iranian military targets including air defense sites, radar systems and maritime assets.

The U.S. strikes followed others on Sunday that abruptly ended a month without military action and threatened to fully reignite a conflict that has spiked global oil prices and posed political problems for Republicans in November's midterm congressional elections.

Late Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not force Iran to the bargaining table.

"I couldn't care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?" Trump wrote on social media.

Earlier, Trump had appeared to pivot toward trying to bend Iran to his will through economic sanctions. He warned that if Iran retaliated for the new strikes, "they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level."

U.S. Central Command said the latest attacks were in response to Tehran trying to hit commercial ships and American forces in the Middle East. The president offered an additional explanation, telling Fox News in a phone call that U.S. forces struck Iran's radars.