Concerns Are Growing That the War in Iran Could Escalate

Here's what it's all about

• For the ninth night in a row, the U.S. has attacked military targets in Iran.
• At the same time, additional fighter jets and tanker aircraft are to be deployed to the Middle East.
• Iran is responding with attacks on countries hosting U.S. military bases, while concerns about further escalation are growing.

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As U.S. and Iranian forces continue to attack each other for yet another night, concerns are growing about an even more widespread war. According to U.S. media reports, Washington is deploying additional fighter jets and refueling aircraft to the conflict region. Meanwhile, in an effort to prevent Iranian attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz—a vital waterway for global trade in oil, gas, and fertilizer—the U.S. military bombed targets in the Islamic Republic for the ninth consecutive night. Explosions were reported in several areas there.

Military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone launch sites, and communications networks in Iran were targeted, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which is responsible for the region, announced on the X platform following the conclusion of the latest wave of attacks early this morning German time.

Trump: We've hit Iran hard again

U.S. President Donald Trump attributed the recent attacks to the deaths of several U.S. soldiers. “These great people, these great patriots, were out there on the front lines to ensure that Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons,” Trump told reporters upon his return from the World Cup final. The attacks on Iran were carried out “in honor” of the soldiers. “We hit them (the Iranians) very hard again tonight,” Trump said.

According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, explosions were reported in the city of Tabriz in the north of the country, the port city of Chahbahar on the Gulf of Oman, Konarak in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the port city of Mahshahr in Khuzestan Province, and the port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini on the Persian Gulf. The Fars News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, also reported detonations in the Sirik area near the Strait of Hormuz and in Bushehr Province.

Meanwhile, in the capital, Tehran, the population is growing increasingly concerned that attacks could also occur in this metropolis of millions should the war continue to escalate.

Kuwait and Bahrain Under Fire Again

In response to the U.S. attacks that have continued throughout the night, Tehran is carrying out retaliatory strikes against countries with U.S. military bases in the region. The Gulf state of Kuwait reported renewed shelling overnight. The country’s air defense forces are repelling “hostile drones” from Iran, the country’s army announced. No details were initially available. Sirens also wailed again in Bahrain, another ally of Washington, according to an announcement by the country’s Ministry of the Interior.

Meanwhile, according to information from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The incident reportedly occurred eight nautical miles (just under 15 kilometers) northwest of the Omani town of Kumzar. The cause of the fire is still unclear at this time.

It was reported that ships are advised to navigate the region with caution while the incident is being investigated. Iran claims control over maritime traffic in the strait and requires ships to follow a route along its coast rather than the route off the coast of Oman.

Trump: Iran has suffered heavy losses

Meanwhile, Trump disputed Tehran’s account. “We control the strait; they control nothing. Let’s see what happens,” he said. Trump also claimed that Iran had suffered very heavy losses in the war. “Militarily, they’ve lost almost everything,” he said. “They have very little left. They still have a few missiles. They still have a few drones.” The *Wall Street Journal* recently reported, citing U.S. officials, that Trump is inclined to expand operations against Iran.

Accordingly, the options include intensifying airstrikes, deploying ground troops to occupy Iranian islands near the Strait of Hormuz, and bombing an Iranian nuclear facility known as “Pickaxe Mountain.” Trump recently threatened to attack the complex, which is located in the Kuh-e Kolang mountain south of the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran.

Reports: U.S. Deploys More Fighter Jets to the Middle East

According to the *Wall Street Journal*, the U.S. is now deploying, among other things, F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. air base at Spangdahlem in the Eifel region to the Middle East. In addition, F-35 fighter jets are reportedly being sent from RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, a base used by the U.S. Refueling aircraft are also reportedly on their way to the region. The *New York Times* also reported this, citing U.S. officials.

According to this report, the decision had already been made before Friday, when—according to the U.S. military—two U.S. soldiers were killed by Iranian fire for the first time in months. Meanwhile, the U.S. military reported the death of another one of its soldiers. He was killed on Saturday in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian disposable drone. The officially reported number of U.S. soldiers killed in the war with Iran thus rises to 17.

The *Washington Post* quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying that the U.S. was preparing for a more extensive war. However, the official also emphasized that, among other things, dwindling U.S. weapons stocks would limit the scope of military operations in Iran. “We don’t have enough to safely sustain the operations, and I don’t think the White House is aware of that,” the newspaper quoted the official as saying.