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US Military Strikes Targets in Iran as Tehran Fires Missiles at Jordan
US Central Command struck Iranian air defence, radar, maritime and communications targets on Tuesday; Iran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones at Jordan, where American forces are stationed, sharply escalating a conflict now more than six months old.
Written by David Chen
(7h ago)
What happened?
US Central Command struck Iranian air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites on Tuesday, with Trump saying strikes near the Strait of Hormuz were justified.
Why it matters
Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones at Jordan in retaliation, with explosions reported over the southern city of Aqaba, where American forces are based, raising the prospect of direct confrontation.
Live updates
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Bipartisan praise for departing Army secretary Driscoll
Lawmakers from both parties have offered warm tributes to the outgoing Army secretary. Representative Steve Womack, an Arkansas Republican and former Army National Guard member, credited Driscoll with bringing discipline and common sense to the department, adding that his leadership had left the force better equipped to meet emerging threats. Representative Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and former Army Ranger, told reporters he had found Driscoll an effective counterpart despite policy disagreements. Crow described it as a welcome change to work with someone well-versed in policy who was
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Driscoll exit follows senior Army departures and drone programme reversal
The departure of Army secretary Daniel Driscoll comes amid a broader reshaping of senior Army leadership. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the Army's top uniformed officer, General Randy George, in April. The Army's commander for Europe and Africa, General Christopher Donahue, unexpectedly stepped down in June. General Christopher LaNeve succeeded George and subsequently ordered a Europe-based Army unit to abandon its work developing its own drones, reversing a programme Driscoll had championed. Driscoll had told Congress in April that civilian leadership held the authority to appoint
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Driscoll played unlikely role as Ukraine-Russia peace negotiator
Daniel Driscoll, an Iraq war veteran, technology investor and former adviser to Vice President JD Vance, was nominated as Army secretary by Donald Trump in 2024, who described him as a disruptor and agent of change. The two men first met at Yale Law School. In the role, Driscoll took on the unusual assignment of serving as a lead negotiator in efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. He also drove attempts to cut bureaucratic barriers so military contractors could develop drone and counter-drone capabilities more rapidly. No official reason has been given for his exit, though
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House reconvenes with stopgap spending bill top of agenda
House lawmakers returned to Washington on Monday following a five-week recess, facing a short but consequential to-do list. The most pressing item is a vote on a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded through early December, heading off any prospect of a shutdown in the run-up to the midterm elections. Votes are also expected on measures crafted to sharpen Republican messaging ahead of November, most notably a resolution condemning socialism. The move forms part of a wider GOP strategy to link the Democratic Party broadly with democratic socialist candidates who have
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USPS whistleblower warns of flawed mail-voting system built under Trump order
A whistleblower has alleged that the US Postal Service is on the verge of deploying a hastily constructed, error-prone computer system that could compromise mail voting, a method relied upon by roughly a third of the electorate. The claim, published by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, relates to efforts to implement a Trump executive order restricting mail voting. A federal judge has temporarily halted the work, though the administration is appealing, and the dispute may ultimately return to the Supreme Court. The unidentified whistleblower contends that the Postal Service has been
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Bessent predicts Strait of Hormuz will become commercially redundant within two years
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has forecast that the Strait of Hormuz will lose its commercial significance within two years, contending that shipping operators will seek alternative routes as trade with Iran steadily diminishes. Bessent made the remarks on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Tuesday during a conversation with Fox Business presenter Larry Kudlow. His comments came in the context of the Trump administration's Operation Economic Outcast, a pressure campaign launched against Tehran in August designed to inflict economic costs on Iran and encourage allied nations to adopt
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US job vacancies nudge higher in July as labour market holds firm despite energy squeeze
American job openings rose to 7.27 million in July from a revised 7.18 million the previous month, the Labour Department reported on Tuesday. Employers across the private, non-profit and public sectors have generated an average of 61,000 net positions a month so far this year. The figure is unspectacular but represents a marked improvement on 2025, when monthly job growth fell below 10,000 — the weakest pace outside a recession since 2002 — as prolonged high interest rates and tariff uncertainty suppressed hiring. Layoffs have remained contained, with weekly unemployment claims consistently
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Bond investors demand higher yields as US debt milestone raises alarm
The rout in government bonds has broadened globally, but the United States faces acute scrutiny after its national debt passed $40 trillion, swelled by defence spending and debt-servicing costs that now consume a large portion of the federal budget. Rising yields drive up borrowing costs on mortgages and a wide range of commercial loans, creating headwinds for investment and equities alike. Brent crude advanced 2.5 per cent to $92.74, with elevated energy prices intensifying inflationary pressure on households and businesses across the supply chain. Inflation has climbed well above 3 per
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Treasury yields rise as oil-driven inflation fears weigh on Wall Street
US government bonds came under renewed selling pressure on Tuesday as climbing oil prices stoked fresh inflation anxiety and dragged on equities. The session marks a soft opening to September, following an uncertain but broadly positive August for American markets. Persistent inflation, growing federal debt, and unease over global conflicts have together eroded appetite for Treasuries. The 10-year yield, which tends to influence mortgage rates, edged up to 4.78 per cent from 4.75 per cent late on Monday. The 2-year yield, which tracks Federal Reserve rate expectations most closely, rose to
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Iran's president attacks US conduct ahead of Putin meeting
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a pointed public rebuke of Washington before entering a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pezeshkian said American military action against Iran had been without legal, scientific, or logical basis, and alleged it had cost the lives of Iranian leaders, commanders, scientists, and students. "This behaviour cannot be justified in any mental, rational, or international framework," he said. He further accused the United States of claiming to champion human rights and the rule of law while acting in ways that contradicted both.
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Putin hails growing Russia-Iran ties at SCO summit meeting
Vladimir Putin has declared Russia's solidarity with Iran and praised the Iranian people's resilience, speaking publicly ahead of a bilateral meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on Tuesday. Putin acknowledged Iran's earlier ceasefire with the United States but described it as having proven unstable and short-lived. He said Russia had continued to supply Iran with essential goods and that bilateral trade had maintained its pace throughout. Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Moscow's backing as Iran contends with US sanctions
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Iran signals readiness to revive ceasefire if Washington fulfils its obligations
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Tehran would immediately honour its ceasefire commitments should the United States return to the terms of a memorandum of understanding struck between the two sides. Speaking at a summit in Kyrgyzstan, Pezeshkian's remarks were carried by Iranian state media. The June memorandum opened a 60-day negotiating window intended to produce a broader peace settlement. Under its terms, Iran undertook to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz and permit shipping, while the US agreed to lift its naval blockade, ease sanctions, grant waivers on Iranian oil
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Senior Democrats voice alarm over Pentagon leadership vacuum
Congressional Democrats have raised serious concerns about the state of the Pentagon's senior leadership. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and a former Army officer, praised outgoing Army chief Driscoll for his candid engagement with Congress and his work to modernise the service, while accusing Defence Secretary Hegseth of building a culture in which dissent is punished and personal loyalty outranks professional competence. Reed noted that hundreds of thousands of US soldiers are currently deployed globally, including in active
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US military launches fresh strikes on Iran amid renewed Strait of Hormuz tensions
US Central Command has confirmed new strikes against targets in Iran, citing recent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempts to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and US personnel stationed in the region. The latest action comes roughly a month after the previous exchange of fire. On Sunday, American forces hit rocket-launcher positions on Larak Island in the strait. Iran subsequently fired missiles at US sites in Jordan, all of which were intercepted, while the United Arab Emirates reported intercepting an Iranian drone over its waters. President Donald Trump indicated on
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House Democrats pledge scrutiny of Trump's Venezuela oil deal
Senior House Democrats have signalled their intention to subject the Trump administration's oil arrangement with Venezuela to rigorous oversight. Representative Pete Aguilar of California, who chairs the House Democratic caucus, described the deal — which grants the Pentagon an ownership stake in Venezuelan oil — as broadly troubling. Aguilar indicated that should Democrats reclaim the House in November's midterm elections, holding the administration to account over the arrangement would be a priority, telling reporters that oversight and accountability could be expected when the opportunity
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Democrat urges voters to register and cast ballots early as best counter to administration
Representative Ted Lieu has said House Democrats have been examining potential voter suppression scenarios linked to the Trump administration, including a whistleblower allegation that the US Postal Service may be compromising mail-in ballots. Lieu's central message was blunt: Americans should register, vote early, or attend in person if necessary. He described casting a ballot as the most effective way to push back against an administration he accused of trying to limit participation. Separately, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he had no knowledge of the whistleblower complaint.
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ICE made around 2,100 arrests in New York operation, official says, as data shows rise in non-criminal detentions
Markwayne Mullin, identified as DHS secretary, announced at a New York press conference that Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out approximately 2,100 arrests in a targeted operation in the city conducted over the past month. He characterised those detained as criminals and criticised New York's governor and mayor for declining to co-operate with federal enforcement. The announcement comes as national ICE figures draw scrutiny: the Deportation Data Project recorded nearly 50,000 arrests in July, with more than half of those detained holding no criminal conviction and facing no
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USPS whistleblower warns 'zero percent' error rule could void millions of valid mail ballots
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal has amplified warnings from a whistleblower regarding the postal system's handling of mail-in ballots under a Trump executive order restricting postal voting. The advocacy group Whistleblower Aid says a so-called zero percent rule means that a single error identified anywhere within a batch of ballots sent by an election office could result in the entire consignment being discarded, regardless of how many valid ballots it contains. Under the system, ballots must be physically processed at a post office by an election official and scanned against the voter
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Vance wins over sceptics at Republican Jewish Coalition gathering
JD Vance appears to have eased doubts within the Republican Jewish Coalition following a closed-door appearance in Las Vegas on Monday, with attendees saying he addressed concerns about his commitment to Jewish Americans and Washington's alliance with Israel. The vice president stopped short, however, of distancing himself from figures including Tucker Carlson. Ari Fleischer, a board member and former spokesman for President George W. Bush, had described Vance as a giant question mark ahead of the meeting. Afterwards, Fleischer said Vance had answered a great many questions and left the
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Two tankers struck in separate incidents near Strait of Hormuz
The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre has reported two separate attacks on tankers in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, both occurring on Monday. In the first, a tanker transiting eastward out of the Persian Gulf through the strait was struck by three projectiles. The UKMTO said there were no casualties and no environmental damage reported. A second incident involved a tanker and military forces off the Omani coast, also east of the strait. No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.
The United States military struck a broad range of targets inside Iran on Tuesday, hitting air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications infrastructure, US Central Command said in a statement. Iran fired ballistic missiles at Jordan in response, with explosions reported over the southern city of Aqaba, where American forces are based.
President Donald Trump said earlier that the latest round of strikes was focused heavily on Iran's efforts to reconstruct radar systems that had been decimated by previous US-Israel strikes. Speaking to Fox News, and relayed by correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump said the US military had monitored Iran's reconstruction work and waited until it was almost completed before carrying out the attacks. Trump also said the US was striking targets near the Strait of Hormuz, and warned on social media: "If the failed Nation of Iran retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level, but it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings."
The semiofficial Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim, described as close to Iran's security forces, reported late Tuesday that Tehran had launched missile and drone operations. The US military said Iran had attempted to attack commercial ships and American forces in the Middle East, which it cited as justification for the strikes, as hostilities flared once again in an intermittent conflict that has lasted more than six months.
Civilian casualties alleged
Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of Hormozgan Province, told Iranian state television that a US strike had hit a home in the southern Iranian town of Kuhestak where a wedding ceremony was taking place, killing two people and wounding others. The claim came from Iranian state media and has not been independently verified.
Ceasefire prospect in doubt
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was prepared to return to a ceasefire agreement brokered with the United States in June, if Washington was willing to abide by its terms. Trump appeared to dismiss that prospect. Yingst quoted Trump as saying: "I think an agreement with them isn't worth the paper it's written on."
Travel alert and diplomatic fallout
The State Department renewed a region-wide travel alert for the Middle East on Tuesday, warning that the security environment remained complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. It said Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target US interests overseas, including businesses and other institutions. Alerts were also sent by individual embassies in Israel, Jordan, Qatar and Iran's virtual embassy.
Pentagon leadership under strain
The renewed military campaign unfolded against a backdrop of upheaval at the Pentagon. Republican Senator Mike Rounds, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was disappointed by the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and questioned the direction of military leadership under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Representative Gregory Meeks described the departure as cause for concern. The Senate returns to Washington on 14 September.
Other developments
Separately, the House passed a short-term government funding measure by 370 votes to 48, extending federal funding into early December and averting a shutdown. The bill now awaits the president's signature after the Senate had already approved it overwhelmingly. The House also passed an anti-socialism resolution 220-192 and voted 413-2 on a matter related to the conduct of a North Carolina Republican congressman following an Ethics Committee investigation. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking after a two-day G20 meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, described global agreement on trade imbalances as significant, highlighting China's record trade surplus as a barrier to growth.
Organizations
Source: AP News