President Donald Trump is threatening Iran with another round of military strikes after Tehran launched missiles toward two American military bases in Jordan, abruptly ending a month-long pause in direct attacks between the two countries.
The renewed exchange is raising fresh concerns that a conflict increasingly dominated by sanctions, economic pressure and threats to global shipping could once again erupt into a broader military confrontation.
Iran launched the missiles overnight after U.S. forces attacked targets on Larak Island, a strategically located Iranian island near the Strait of Hormuz.
American officials said U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers after members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing equipment Washington said could be used to send sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media reported that three people were killed in the American attack, including two members of the Revolutionary Guards Navy.
Iran then retaliated.
Missiles were fired toward two U.S. military installations in Jordan. Trump said American air defenses intercepted the Iranian missiles that posed a threat and indicated that Washington was prepared to respond again.
“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump told Fox News, according to Reuters.
Speaking separately at the White House, Trump stopped short of declaring that the United States was returning to an all-out war with Iran.
That distinction may prove critical.
The latest confrontation represents the first direct exchange of attacks since late July, and both Washington and Tehran appear to be attempting to demonstrate military strength without necessarily committing themselves to another prolonged round of combat.
An Iranian source described the overnight confrontation to Reuters as limited but warned that Iran would respond strongly to any additional attack.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also argued that continuing the war is in no one’s interest.
But the military exchange comes at an especially dangerous moment.
The United States has been increasing economic pressure on Tehran through sanctions aimed not only at Iran itself but at foreign companies, financial institutions and governments involved in purchasing or facilitating Iranian oil exports.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran’s latest military action may reflect the growing impact of that pressure.
Washington has so far largely avoided direct attacks on Iran’s most important oil and gas infrastructure.
A major attack on those facilities could dramatically change the conflict.
Iran has repeatedly threatened retaliation against regional targets if its energy infrastructure is struck, while instability around the Strait of Hormuz carries enormous consequences for global oil markets because of the amount of crude that passes through the waterway.
Those concerns were already showing up in financial markets Monday.
Oil prices jumped as traders reacted to the renewed fighting, with Brent crude climbing back above $90 a barrel.
The renewed confrontation also produced another unusual moment when Trump posted AI-generated videos appearing to show explosions destroying Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal.
No such attack occurred.
The posts nevertheless added to an already tense atmosphere as governments and markets attempted to determine whether the latest exchange represented a contained confrontation or the opening stage of another escalation.
For now, Trump is signaling that retaliation remains on the table.
The next move by Washington — and Iran’s response to it — could determine whether Monday’s exchange remains isolated or marks the beginning of another dangerous chapter in the U.S.-Iran conflict.
What Happens Next
Watch for confirmation of additional U.S. strikes, Iranian retaliation, movement around the Strait of Hormuz and further changes in global oil prices.
