Trump Announces 'Large and Powerful' Strikes on Iran, Warns of 'Biggest Attack of Them All'

In a post on Truth Social, the president said the strikes were conducted in retaliation for Iran's "failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait" and for firing eight missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan, which he claimed were "all successfully knocked down" . The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, stating that American forces had begun striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in response to "attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region" .

'Very Little Left of Iran'

Trump issued a stark warning to the Iranian government, stating that the current strikes would not be the largest if Iran chose to retaliate. "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 and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!" the president wrote .

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. military is prepared to launch additional attacks "any time we want" . He claimed that U.S. forces "took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz," describing the strike as "very heavy" .

Iranian Retaliation and Civilian Casualty Reports

The strikes have already drawn a response from Tehran. Iranian state media reported that the country has launched retaliatory attacks against American bases and interests using drones and missiles . The IRGC confirmed it struck U.S. military facilities in several countries, including Jordan, the UAE, and Kuwait . The IRGC spokesman Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi vowed "harsh punishment" for the aggressors, adding that the U.S. would regret the fresh strikes .

Iranian officials also claimed that the U.S. strike hit a wedding party in southern Iran, killing at least four people and wounding dozens of others. CENTCOM said it is investigating the reports and maintains that the U.S. military "never targets civilians" .

U.S. Claims Control of Strategic Waterway

Trump asserted that the U.S. now has "almost total control of the Hormuz Strait" and is bringing oil tankers through the waterway without major difficulties . He also floated the idea of renaming the strategic strait the "Trump Strait" in a Truth Social post, though he later downplayed the suggestion, telling reporters, "No, no ... it was just thrown out there" .

The latest escalation comes just weeks after the collapse of a June 2026 memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran that had aimed to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to navigation. Clashes resumed in July, and tensions have continued to mount since .