Sailors prepare an F/A-18F Super Hornet for launch off the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln on May 31, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. military completed a new round of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, with U.S. Central Command saying the operation targeted military systems that threatened American forces and commercial shipping in the region.
Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy assets launched precision strikes against Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air-defense sites across the country, CENTCOM said in a statement Wednesday.
The operation was carried out at President Donald Trump’s direction and followed days of escalating exchanges between the United States and Iran that began with the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
“The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression,” the command said.
Earlier Wednesday, CENTCOM announced that additional “self-defense strikes” had begun at approximately 5:15 p.m. ET.
Trump had warned earlier in the day that Iran would “pay the price” for its actions.
“The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!” the president said on Truth Social. “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 government of Bahrain, which hosts a U.S. Navy base that is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet, sounded air sirens and warned residents to seek shelter Wednesday. Meanwhile, Kuwait said it was intercepting hostile aerial targets.
Iranian state media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had targeted 21 American air and naval bases across the region, including the Bahrain installation and Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which has been known to house F-35 fighter jets.
Tehran also claimed to have downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Persian Gulf.
Responding to a Stars and Stripes request about the attacks, a U.S. official said there was no “significant damage” and “no harm done to U.S. personnel.”
Also Wednesday, the U.S. military disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman attempting to transport oil from Iran. CENTCOM forces disabled the Palau-flagged M/T Settebello as it transited the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday at 11:14 EST.
Stars and Stripes reporter Lara Korte contributed to this report.
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