US conducts new strikes on Iran despite promised pause

Washington has authorized a fresh wave of airstrikes against Iranian targets in the Middle East, moving forward with the operation despite President Donald Trump’s earlier pledge to temporarily halt hostilities. The strikes, carried out by U.S. Air Force bombers and naval aircraft from carriers in the Persian Gulf, focused on facilities linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that U.S. officials say were involved in recent attacks on American personnel and assets in the region.

The decision follows a series of escalating confrontations that began with a missile assault on a U.S. base in Iraq earlier this month, which the United States attributed to Iranian-backed militias. While the White House had announced a pause in offensive actions to allow diplomatic channels to de‑escalate tensions, senior defense officials argued that the newly identified IRGC sites posed an imminent threat that could not be ignored. Iranian officials condemned the strikes as a violation of the pause agreement and warned of further retaliation, while allies in the coalition called for restraint and continued dialogue to prevent a broader conflict.