US strikes Iranian targets for 10th consecutive night, Iran retaliates
The US launched a tenth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iranian targets, and Iran retaliated with attacks, continuing the escalation of conflict in the region.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The United States and Iran have traded attacks for a tenth consecutive night, with the conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz showing no signs of de-escalation. The US military said it struck Iranian command centres, missile launch sites and air defence systems in its latest wave of airstrikes, which it described as an effort to degrade Tehran's ability to interfere with commercial shipping in the vital waterway. Iran retaliated by striking two oil tankers, which are now ablaze in the strait, and targeting US military assets in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran also fired at Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, causing what those countries described as severe damage to civilian water and power facilities. The US insists that commercial vessels are still moving through the strait, but the volume of traffic has dropped sharply and the risk to ships has risen.
President Donald Trump, speaking at Joint Base Andrews, said the US had hit Iran very hard again and signalled further escalation. He said the next target could be a site near Natanz known as 'pickaxe mountain', where Israel claims Iran has moved equipment that could be used to make a nuclear weapon. The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, told Congress the cost of the war so far had exceeded $37.5 billion and requested more than $80 billion in additional funding. The remains of four US soldiers killed in Jordan at the weekend are due to be returned.
Iran's allies are also widening the conflict. The Houthi movement in Yemen has threatened to block the Bab al-Mandab strait, the southern exit of the Red Sea, to Saudi traffic. Saudi Arabia relies on a pipeline to the Red Sea to export oil, and the Houthis have previously attacked more than 100 vessels in the area during the Gaza war. Saudi officials said the military would not allow the blockade to happen. Mediation efforts by Pakistan and Qatar continue, but analysts say the risk is that the war returns to the intensity it reached in March, when the US and Israel first attacked Iran. The diplomatic challenge is to find a way back to talks, but at the moment that looks unlikely.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC NEWS | BBC One |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran retaliated by striking Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. | |||
| The US hit 170 Iranian targets over 48 hours, mainly near the Strait of Hormuz. | |||
| Jordan intercepted five Iranian drones heading towards its territory. | · | ||
| Three US soldiers were killed in Iranian attacks: two in Jordan and one in Iraq. | · | ||
| Iran fired at Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, causing damage to civilian water and power facilities. | · | · | |
| Iran intercepted two ships in the Strait of Hormuz. | · | · | |
| The US attacked a nuclear power plant under construction that UN inspectors said contained no nuclear material. | · | · | |
| US Central Command announced a ninth wave of airstrikes on Iran. | · | · | |
| US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Congress for more than $80 billion in additional funding, and the cost of the war so far is over $37.5 billion. | · | · | |
| US insists commercial vessels are moving through the Strait of Hormuz. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News focused on expert analysis from a retired US Navy vice admiral, who argued that further escalation was likely and that the US would need to use combat power to keep the Strait open. The channel also carried President Trump's remarks and included updates on other news, such as the Andrew Tate case and Canada tariffs, but gave the Iran story prominent coverage. The tone was analytical and relatively neutral, with an emphasis on military strategy and the US perspective.
- “I think we're going to continue to see some escalation, at least on the part of the United States until Iran stops interdicting commercial shipping that's trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz”
- “we hit Iran very hard again tonight”
- “The US military says that it struck Iranian command centres, missile launch sites and air defence systems in its 10th consecutive night of attacks”
BBC ONE West provided a more critical assessment of the conflict, featuring Jeremy Bowen's analysis that the risk of war exploding back to March intensity was high and that Trump's gamble for an easy victory had failed. The report highlighted the US attack on a nuclear power plant, the Houthi threat to block Bab al-Mandab, and the rising financial cost of the war. The tone was more sceptical of US strategy and emphasised the diplomatic deadlock.
- “The risk now is that the war explodes back to the intensity it reached in March”
- “More evidence that Donald Trump's huge gamble to go to war for an easy victory has failed”
- “Trump said today that he is planning to escalate those attacks on Iran”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.