Iran threatens to 'punish the aggressor' after US launches retaliatory strikes
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Iran on Thursday threatened to “punish” the United States following a “heavy wave of strikes” against Tehran overnight in retaliation against missile attacks on American forces in the Middle East.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it “will punish the aggressor today,” extending the threat to Gulf nations helping Washington in the conflict, saying such countries would “receive a harsh response,” according to Iranian state media.
The U.S. military late Wednesday unleashed two hours of airstrikes against Iran over the Guard firing five missiles at an American base in Jordan on Tuesday.
U.S. and Saudi Arabia responded to the attack hours later with strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
U.S. and Iranian forces also traded strikes early Thursday morning in response to the expansion of the conflict into Egypt — where two ships at an Egyptian port near the Suez Canal caught fire after drones believed to be Iranian struck the area.
The fresh round of strikes added to the tinderbox of conflict in the Middle East, raising the risk of returning the region to all-out war even as Washington hopes for potential diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
President Trump on Wednesday warned that the U.S. will “beat the f‑‑‑ing s‑‑‑ out of” Iran and said it is the U.S. military’s “turn” to strike.
“In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it, but you know they tried shooting at us last night,” the president told reporters at the White House.
Trump reportedly has grown increasingly frustrated over the Iran war, a deeply unpopular conflict that has caused Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and send global energy prices skyrocketing.
Now in its sixth month, the war Trump initially insisted was a “short-term excursion” has no end in sight even as 18 U.S. troops have been killed, critical missile interceptors are being used up quicker than they can be replaced and the cost of the fighting continues to climb. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week testified before lawmakers that the war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion.
But even with growing GOP discomfort over the expansion of the war and the impact it’s having on energy prices, Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a resolution directing the president to withdraw U.S. troops from hostilities against Tehran.
“This aimless war has been one of the biggest catastrophes in American history. Trump’s mess only gets worse with every passing hour. Trump said this war would last a week, but American service members are still getting killed five months later,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said on the floor in urging Republican colleagues to vote for the measure.
“This war seems to be expanding with Iran’s latest attack in Egypt’s territory. Senate Republicans cannot sit on the sidelines as Trump’s war escalates out of control,” he added.
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Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Axios ↗ · The Hill ↗
Iran on Thursday threatened to “punish” the United States following a “heavy wave of strikes” against Tehran overnight in retaliation against missile attacks on American forces in…
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
Skip to content
Iran on Thursday threatened to “punish” the United States following a “heavy wave of strikes” against Tehran overnight in retaliation against missile attacks on American forces in the Middle East.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it “will punish the aggressor today,” extending the threat to Gulf nations helping Washington in the conflict, saying such countries would “receive a harsh response,” according to Iranian state media.
The U.S. military late Wednesday unleashed two hours of airstrikes against Iran over the Guard firing five missiles at an American base in Jordan on Tuesday.
U.S. and Saudi Arabia responded to the attack hours later with strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
U.S. and Iranian forces also traded strikes early Thursday morning in response to the expansion of the conflict into Egypt — where two ships at an Egyptian port near the Suez Canal caught fire after drones believed to be Iranian struck the area.
The fresh round of strikes added to the tinderbox of conflict in the Middle East, raising the risk of returning the region to all-out war even as Washington hopes for potential diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
President Trump on Wednesday warned that the U.S. will “beat the f‑‑‑ing s‑‑‑ out of” Iran and said it is the U.S. military’s “turn” to strike.
“In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it, but you know they tried shooting at us last night,” the president told reporters at the White House.
Trump reportedly has grown increasingly frustrated over the Iran war, a deeply unpopular conflict that has caused Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and send global energy prices skyrocketing.
Now in its sixth month, the war Trump initially insisted was a “short-term excursion” has no end in sight even as 18 U.S. troops have been killed, critical missile interceptors are being used up quicker than they can be replaced and the cost of the fighting continues to climb. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week testified before lawmakers that the war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion.
But even with growing GOP discomfort over the expansion of the war and the impact it’s having on energy prices, Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a resolution directing the president to withdraw U.S. troops from hostilities against Tehran.
“This aimless war has been one of the biggest catastrophes in American history. Trump’s mess only gets worse with every passing hour. Trump said this war would last a week, but American service members are still getting killed five months later,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said on the floor in urging Republican colleagues to vote for the measure.
“This war seems to be expanding with Iran’s latest attack in Egypt’s territory. Senate Republicans cannot sit on the sidelines as Trump’s war escalates out of control,” he added.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Axios ↗ · The Hill ↗
Skip to content
Iran on Thursday threatened to “punish” the United States following a “heavy wave of strikes” against Tehran overnight in retaliation against missile attacks on American forces in the Middle East.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it “will punish the aggressor today,” extending the threat to Gulf nations helping Washington in the conflict, saying such countries would “receive a harsh response,” according to Iranian state media.
The U.S. military late Wednesday unleashed two hours of airstrikes against Iran over the Guard firing five missiles at an American base in Jordan on Tuesday.
U.S. and Saudi Arabia responded to the attack hours later with strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
U.S. and Iranian forces also traded strikes early Thursday morning in response to the expansion of the conflict into Egypt — where two ships at an Egyptian port near the Suez Canal caught fire after drones believed to be Iranian struck the area.
The fresh round of strikes added to the tinderbox of conflict in the Middle East, raising the risk of returning the region to all-out war even as Washington hopes for potential diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.
President Trump on Wednesday warned that the U.S. will “beat the f‑‑‑ing s‑‑‑ out of” Iran and said it is the U.S. military’s “turn” to strike.
“In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it, but you know they tried shooting at us last night,” the president told reporters at the White House.
Trump reportedly has grown increasingly frustrated over the Iran war, a deeply unpopular conflict that has caused Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz and send global energy prices skyrocketing.
Now in its sixth month, the war Trump initially insisted was a “short-term excursion” has no end in sight even as 18 U.S. troops have been killed, critical missile interceptors are being used up quicker than they can be replaced and the cost of the fighting continues to climb. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week testified before lawmakers that the war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion.
But even with growing GOP discomfort over the expansion of the war and the impact it’s having on energy prices, Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a resolution directing the president to withdraw U.S. troops from hostilities against Tehran.
“This aimless war has been one of the biggest catastrophes in American history. Trump’s mess only gets worse with every passing hour. Trump said this war would last a week, but American service members are still getting killed five months later,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said on the floor in urging Republican colleagues to vote for the measure.
“This war seems to be expanding with Iran’s latest attack in Egypt’s territory. Senate Republicans cannot sit on the sidelines as Trump’s war escalates out of control,” he added.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Axios ↗ · The Hill ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- Iran on Thursday threatened to “punish” the United States following a “heavy wave of strikes” against Tehran overnight in retaliation against missile attacks on American forces in…