US renews strikes on Iran as Trump threatens to attack underground nuclear site

What the report says

BBC World News reports that the United States carried out another round of strikes on Iran late Tuesday, marking an 11th consecutive night of attacks, while Tehran warned Washington not to target its nuclear facilities. US Central Command said the strikes were intended to further weaken Iran’s capacity to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said air defences were activated in Tehran, with explosions also reported in Tabriz, Chabahar, Konarak and Bushehr.

The escalation followed comments from President Donald Trump that the US could soon attack an underground nuclear site near Natanz, described in the report as Pickaxe Mountain. Trump told reporters at the White House that the area would be hit “pretty soon” and “very heavily.” Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military command, cited by state broadcaster IRIB, warned that such a strike would be treated as a widening of the war and threatened retaliation against US interests and allies.

Centcom said US forces had targeted Iranian military operations centres, maritime assets, aircraft hangars, drone storage facilities and logistics sites. It also accused Iran of attacking more than 30 commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over three months, saying the waterway remained open to commercial transit. Kuwait said its air defences engaged drones from Iran, while Bahrain and Jordan reported intercepting drone and missile attacks.

The BBC also reported growing concern over shipping beyond Hormuz, after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement threatened Saudi vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The report said two tankers carrying Saudi crude changed course after the announcement. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators the war had cost the US about $37.5bn so far and warned that military training could be affected without emergency funding.