The United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes against multiple targets in Iran on Wednesday, 11 June, with President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warning Tehran that military pressure would escalate unless it agreed to a nuclear deal with Washington. The operation marks a significant intensification of American military engagement with Iran amid stalled diplomatic efforts.

How the Strikes Unfolded

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the operation began at 5:15 pm Eastern Time, describing the action as 'additional self-defence strikes against multiple targets in Iran' carried out at the direction of President Trump. CENTCOM stated the strikes were launched in response to 'Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression.'

The renewed offensive followed an incident on Monday in which Iran shot down a US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter near Oman. Trump confirmed the helicopter crew had been rescued safely but vowed that military action would continue.

'We hit them hard yesterday, and we're gonna hit them again hard today,' Trump told reporters. 'We'll see what happens with the deal. We were really close to a deal. But they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers.'

What the US Government Said

Hegseth addressed reporters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida after meeting CENTCOM commanders, delivering an unambiguous warning to Tehran.

'Central Command will be busy tonight because President Trump said we will be hitting Iran hard, and we will be,' Hegseth said. 'Iran has a chance to make a good deal, a great deal to codify what they said they've been willing to do, and they haven't been willing to do it.'

At the White House, Trump framed the military action as a consequence of Iran's failure to follow through on months of negotiations. 'I've been working with Iran for a number of months, and they should sign the deal,' he said. 'It's a good deal. It doesn't give them the right to have a nuclear weapon. In fact, it totally prohibits them from ever having a nuclear weapon.'

Tanker Disabled in Strait of Hormuz

Separately on Wednesday, CENTCOM announced that US forces had disabled a tanker allegedly transporting Iranian oil in violation of an American-led blockade. According to CENTCOM, a US aircraft fired precision munitions into the engine room of the Palau-flagged tanker M/T Settebello after its crew repeatedly failed to comply with instructions.

Hegseth claimed that 'Project Freedom' had enabled more than 100 million barrels of oil to transit safely through the Strait of Hormuz under American protection. 'The United States of America controls the Strait of Hormuz,' he said. 'We're able to bring oil in and out and other things with partners and have done so now for weeks and weeks in ways the Iranians don't want to acknowledge.'

Diplomacy and Military Action Running in Parallel

Both Trump and Hegseth stressed that Washington remained open to a negotiated settlement even as strikes continued. The Pentagon chief described Trump as 'a deal maker, the best in the world' and said Iran 'would be wise' to accept the offer on the table.

Trump echoed that position, framing the path to de-escalation as straightforward. 'Very simply, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't,' he said. 'All they have to do is they have to start signing a paper.'

This is the latest in a series of military exchanges between the two countries, with the situation around the Strait of Hormuz remaining a flashpoint for global energy markets. How Tehran responds in the coming hours will determine whether the conflict escalates further or opens a narrow window for renewed diplomacy.