US launches further strikes on Iran as conflict flares up - Financial Times

Military tensions between the United States and Iran escalated on Tuesday, September 1, following a new exchange of fire that ended a month-long period of relative calm. The conflict intensified after Washington conducted a series of strikes, which US Central Command described as limited and precise. According to US officials, these operations targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces allegedly involved in minelaying preparations near the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to the US action, Iran launched a wave of missiles and drones directed at American bases across the region. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that the IRGC characterized the operation as a measure that had further tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, explosions were reported over the southern Jordanian city of Aqaba late Tuesday as part of the retaliatory effort.

Iranian officials reported that the US strikes resulted in civilian casualties, specifically citing an incident in the village of Kuhestak in the Hormozgan province. According to these reports, a home hosting a wedding was struck during the military engagement.

President Donald Trump defended the US military actions, describing them as justified. In a statement issued via social media, he warned the Iranian government against further retaliation, stating that any such response would be met with strikes at a much harder and higher level.

The exchange marks a significant flare-up in hostilities, as the two nations move beyond the period of direct military inactivity that had characterized the preceding month. While the US maintains that its strikes were targeted at specific military threats, Iranian authorities have framed their response as a decisive operation against American presence in the region.