US President Donald Trump said renewed fighting with Iran would not last “too long”, but warned Washington was ready to strike Iran “at any time”.
Trump also said the US sees “everything” Iran does and threatened further attacks following US strikes that Iranian authorities said hit a wedding in southern Iran, killing four people, including two children.
He claimed the US controls the Strait of Hormuz and had destroyed an Iranian mine-laying rocket.
Tehran vows new strategy
Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Washington would soon witness Tehran’s “new strategy” for the war.
Iran has responded to US strikes with missile launches against US-linked assets in the region, according to the latest developments.
Analyst Ross Harrison told Al Jazeera the US campaign had caused significant damage but had not achieved Washington’s broader political objectives, while Iran was seeking to restore military deterrence.
Iranian casualties rise
Iran’s Health Ministry said 18 people were killed and 142 wounded in US attacks between August 30 and September 2.
The ministry said 61 of those injured were women and 44 were under 18. Two women and one child were among those killed.
The latest US strikes reportedly hit southern Iran, including an area near Sirik where Iranian authorities said a wedding was struck.
Hormuz remains key leverage
Only six commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, down from 11 the previous day and well below the 10-day average of about 13 ships a day, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters.
Ross Harrison of the Middle East Institute said the strait still gives Iran short-term leverage as Tehran seeks to restore deterrence.
He said Iran’s immediate objective was to inflict enough damage to deter another conflict in the coming months, while different views remained inside Iran over negotiations, further escalation or leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
US blockade tightens
CENTCOM said Washington was continuing its blockade against Iran and had redirected 86 commercial vessels as of Thursday, according to the latest recap.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that countries helping Tehran establish mechanisms to generate funds would face US sanctions.
Iran’s currency has also fallen to a record low of more than 2.2 million rials per dollar, Reuters reported.
UN urges halt to fighting
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by reports of civilian casualties, including the strike that reportedly hit a wedding ceremony in Iran.
His spokesperson said few countries in the region were immune from the escalation, with airspace and shipping routes heavily affected, and called for an immediate halt to military action.
