The United States carried out its 11th consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran early Wednesday, targeting military operations centres, aircraft hangars and drone storage facilities as the conflict between Washington and Tehran entered a new phase of sustained aerial bombardment.
US Central Command confirmed that the overnight operation struck multiple military targets including aircraft hangars and facilities used to store unmanned aerial systems. The strikes followed President Donald Trump’s warning that military action against Iran would intensify in the coming days.
Earlier operations in this campaign had targeted command centres, maritime assets, missile and drone launch sites, and air defence systems. CENTCOM released footage showing precision strikes on targets inside Iranian territory, part of what it described as an ongoing campaign against Iranian military capabilities.
The escalation marks a significant shift in air warfare doctrine over the past two decades. Unlike earlier campaigns against fixed air bases in the region, this operation reflects the modern challenge of striking dispersed, hardened, and mobile military infrastructure. Iran has invested heavily in underground facilities, decentralised command structures, and redundant air defence networks across its territory. The targeting of drone storage sites suggests US intelligence has identified Iranian unmanned systems production and deployment nodes as critical to Tehran’s asymmetric warfare capability.
Trump ruled out near-term negotiations, stating the United States currently had no interest in meeting Iranian officials despite claims that Tehran was seeking talks. He also suggested that US forces could soon strike an area near Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground location situated close to one of Iran’s principal uranium enrichment facilities.
Iran responded with a stern warning through state media, with armed forces declaring that any attack on nuclear or sensitive facilities would be viewed as a major escalation. The country threatened that US interests and those of its allies would become targets if such strikes were carried out.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the focal point of the conflict. This strategic waterway handles approximately 20 per cent of global crude oil and natural gas shipments. Despite repeated US strikes, Iran has maintained its grip over the strait, with both nations increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure and commercial shipping. Iran attacked a tanker transiting the strait on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations confirmed the attack near Oman, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for that strike and two earlier attacks on ships.
CENTCOM said US forces have redirected eight commercial vessels and disabled one vessel in efforts to maintain maritime traffic safety. The conflict has spread across the region, with Bahrain activating missile warning sirens after incoming Iranian projectiles, Jordan intercepting five drones and three missiles, and flights temporarily suspended at Irbil International Airport in Iraq. Kuwait reported Iranian strikes hit desalination and power plants for a fourth consecutive day, causing fires and damage.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure as unacceptable and a violation of international law.