New U.S. Strikes on Iran, Trump Vows “Severe Damage” as Iran Pushes for Peace

Following a lull of several weeks, the United States launched new strikes on Iran, prompting Iranian retaliation against U.S. bases in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to inflict “severe damage” on Iran. On Sunday, U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, in what Washington said was aimed at preventing Tehran from mining shipping lanes. Iranian state media reported three killed and several wounded in the U.S. strikes.
Tehran retaliated in the early hours of Monday with missile and drone strikes on U.S. military targets in Jordan and the UAE. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have caused “severe damage” to two U.S. air bases in Jordan. Trump said all missiles targeting U.S. forces were intercepted except one deemed non-threatening, while Jordan’s military said it destroyed eight missiles in the air. Iran also claimed to have struck U.S. personnel at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE and shot down a U.S. drone over the Hormuz region — claims Abu Dhabi dismissed as “baseless.” Shelling was also reported near an oil tanker off Oman.
Despite the escalation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for negotiations during a summit in Kyrgyzstan, saying continuing the war served no one’s interest. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed this, saying “the U.S. must return to the commitments it made under the memorandum of understanding signed in June.”
Iran Accuses EU of “Trading Away Its Sovereignty”
Responding to EU support for U.S. sanctions on Iran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the EU was “surrendering its sovereignty to American coercion,” comparing it to Europe’s 1996 Blocking Statute. He warned EU states could bear responsibility for the consequences of backing Washington’s pressure campaign.
International Reaction to Rising Tensions
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Russian President Vladimir Putin, meeting with Pezeshkian, expressed solidarity with Iran and reaffirmed Russia’s intent to maintain trade ties despite the tensions. The SCO’s summit declaration expressed “deep concern” over the Middle East situation and condemned attacks on Iranian territory as violations of international law. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari accused Israel of exploiting the U.S.-Iran conflict to carry out deadly strikes across the region, warning that leaving the Hormuz crisis unresolved would fuel further escalation, while affirming ongoing talks with Oman and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions.