U.S. Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran as Trump Escalates Pressure Over Failed Nuclear Talks

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting air defense and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump increased military pressure on Tehran following days of escalating attacks and stalled nuclear negotiations.

U.S. Central Command said American forces began “additional self-defense strikes” at 5:15 p.m. Eastern time against multiple Iranian targets at Trump’s direction. CENTCOM said the operation came in response to Iran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.”

A senior U.S. official said the strikes focused on Iranian military radar and air defense sites, while avoiding infrastructure targets. Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik, Minab, and Isfahan, saying Iranian air defenses were engaging U.S. jet fighters.

The latest strikes followed U.S. attacks Tuesday against Iranian radar, air defense, and ground-control sites after an Iranian drone reportedly downed a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. The two crew members survived, but the incident sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the campaign as a form of military pressure meant to force Iran back to serious negotiations.

“If we need to negotiate with bombs, we’ll negotiate with bombs. And we’re very good at it. Nobody better in the world,” Hegseth said while visiting U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

Trump said Wednesday that Iran had been delaying a nuclear agreement while refusing to accept Washington’s terms.

“We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers,” Trump told reporters. “We want a deal that’s meaningful, we want a deal that works.”

The main dispute remains Iran’s nuclear program. Washington wants Tehran to give up its enriched uranium and accept stricter limits than the 2015 nuclear deal reached under former President Barack Obama. Iran, however, has demanded major sanctions relief before committing to significant nuclear concessions.

After the strikes began, Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. Trump said the U.S. military had secretly escorted 200 ships carrying 100 million barrels of oil through the strait over the past month, defying Iran’s attempt to disrupt global energy flows.

Iranian officials responded defiantly. Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Tehran would not negotiate under threats, while Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Azizi warned that any expanding war “will not be limited to the region.”

Israel is also closely monitoring the confrontation. Israeli security officials believe Iran may avoid directly striking Israel in response to the U.S. attacks, fearing such a move would give Jerusalem justification to resume direct operations inside Iran. Still, Israel remains on high alert.

The confrontation comes after the fragile ceasefire that followed Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. campaign against Iran that ended in April. Since then, Washington has pursued diplomacy aimed at securing a long-term halt to Iranian uranium enrichment in exchange for economic relief.

But with Iran accused of stalling talks, threatening Hormuz traffic, and escalating attacks against U.S. forces, the Trump administration appears to be betting that limited but forceful military action can bring Tehran back to the table without triggering a broader war.

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