By Patrick Sykes and Kate Sullivan

Fighting between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz escalated, with Tehran accusing American forces of bombing a residential area in a wave of overnight strikes.

The US military carried out its second round of attacks in three days, which US Central Command said targeted radar systems and mine-laying capabilities along Iran’s southern coast. This prompted the Islamic Republic to retaliate with drone and missile volleys on US bases across the Middle East, in line with tactics used throughout the six-month war.

Tehran accused the US of hitting a wedding ceremony during the overnight attacks, killing five people and injuring 68. Most of the injured were women and children, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. Centcom said it’s aware of reports but that “the U.S. military never targets civilians,” US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told the BBC.

Iranian officials likened the incident to a strike on an elementary school in the city of Minab during the early days of the conflict. That attack killed an estimated 120 children and is under investigation by the US military.

“This cruelty cannot be separated from the chain of atrocities that preceded it in Minab, Lamerd, Qeshm and elsewhere,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in a post on X. “Iran will respond to these savage crimes with firmness.”

The resumption of hostilities brought an end to a weeks-long period of relative calm and raises concerns over a potential return to all-out war, at a time when no diplomatic off-ramp is in sight. 

US President Donald Trump downplayed the chances of a peace agreement, saying in a post on Truth Social that he’s “not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table.” 

“I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement,” he said. “I like our position now much better.”

Energy prices jumped amid fears that disruptions to oil and gas flows in the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place for a prolonged period. Benchmark Brent crude rose above $97 a barrel in early trading, before paring some of those gains.

Centcom said “strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members,” according to a statement posted on X on Tuesday evening. 

Within hours, Iran said its forces had launched a “decisive operation” against US bases in the region, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Tehran claimed attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. Authorities in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq said they intercepted incoming fire. The UAE hasn’t commented.

Jordan, a US ally, has increasingly become a target of Tehran’s retaliation, with two American service members killed there in an attack in July.

Trump vowed the US would continue hitting Iran if the Islamic Republic retaliated.

The US military attacked two Iranian tankers under a new “tanker for tanker” policy approved by Trump, Axios reported, citing an American official it did not name. Up until now, the US has focused on stopping Iranian vessels from breaking a naval blockade.

This came about a day after two oil supertankers attempting to exit the strait were hit in quick succession by projectiles, maritime security consultant Marisks said.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters at the G-20 finance ministers summit in Asheville that Iran’s leaders were “panicked” over the country’s economic problems and predicted at some point they would be ready to negotiate an accord to end the war. 

While Bessent has vowed an “economic onslaught” against Iran and its trading partners, countries with ties to Tehran have so far shrugged off the threat and analysts have been underwhelmed by US actions.

Fighting is intensifying beyond Iran. Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon regularly this week, accusing the Iran-backed group of launching drones at its forces. Hamas, meanwhile, said an already shaky ceasefire in Gaza risks collapsing after an Israeli raid deep into the Palestinian territory on Tuesday to capture a senior figure from the militant organization.