US resumes airstrikes in Iran after pause for diplomacy collapses

The US military resumed airstrikes inside Iran on Wednesday, marking the first direct attacks on Iranian territory since President Donald Trump paused a 13-night bombing campaign on July 24 to create space for diplomatic negotiations, according to Axios.axios

The strikes came in retaliation for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing multiple ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan on Tuesday evening — all of which were intercepted, according to US Central Command. Trump signaled the response hours earlier, telling reporters the US would hit Iran "very hard" and declaring, "It's our turn".livenowfox+1

A Brief Pause Shattered

Trump had halted the original bombing campaign after 13 consecutive nights of strikes on Iranian military targets, opening what proved to be a short-lived window for diplomacy. The president told Axios earlier this week that the US was in "very deep talks" with Iran but warned he would resume "very strong military action" if negotiations failed.axios

Iran's surprise missile launch from its own soil on Tuesday shattered that pause. CENTCOM confirmed the IRGC fired the missiles at 5:45 p.m. ET, and that all were "successfully intercepted," with US forces remaining "at a high state of readiness". Trump claimed Iran acknowledged the missile launch was a mistake and asked the US not to retaliate.livenowfox+1

Escalation Pressures Mount

The resumption of strikes comes as The Wall Street Journal News Corp ↘ 2.57% reported that CENTCOM is preparing options for a 10-to-14-day intensive air campaign aimed at degrading Tehran's missile capabilities, representing a potential escalation in the scope of American military operations. NBC News reported that Trump told Axios he is weighing whether to launch a "massive attack" that would be "bigger than ever before," though he left the door open for diplomacy.kurdistan24

Behind the scenes, NBC News reported Trump lashed out at aides during a meeting last week over frustration with military options and his inability to close a deal. "Neither he nor his top aides are pleased with the status quo," a US official said.kurdistan24

Regional Fallout Widens

Wednesday's military action unfolded alongside broader regional developments. The US and Saudi Arabia conducted joint precision strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq on Tuesday, with Trump calling the militias "a cancer on the world". Iran also rejected an Omani proposal to divide control of the Strait of Hormuz, eliminating one of the few remaining diplomatic proposals on the table. Brent crude oil briefly surged above $100 a barrel for the first time since May before pulling back, underscoring the economic stakes of the widening conflict.biz.chosun+1