CAIRO – 11 March 2026: The war in Iran entered its 12th day on Wednesday, with Iranian cities continuing to face heavy bombardment after the United States described its latest wave of strikes as “the most intense” since the war began.
The latest strikes followed a sharp escalation over the past two weeks, when Washington launched the “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes from Iran on Israel as well as the US military presence in the region.
US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran aims to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to eliminate “imminent threats” posed by the Iranian regime toward the US people.
Tehran has responded with a series of retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting US military assets and strategic infrastructure across the Gulf, dragging more countries into the middle of the conflict.
Iran Endures More Attacks
Many districts across Iranian cities, including Tehran, were attacked on Tuesday, as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the day would be the “most intense” yet in the US campaign against Iran.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Dan Caine said US forces have hit over 5,000 targets so far, including Iranian naval vessels, drone factories, and missile launchers.
Iran has accused the US and Israel of targeting civilians since a strike on an Iranian girls’ school on the first day of the war killed 175 people, many of whom are children.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported the death of 1,708 people in Iran since the start of the war, including 1,205 civilians, according to BBC.
Impact on US
US forces have also borne the brunt of the war, with the Pentagon confirming at least seven American service members killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The Pentagon said Tuesday that about 140 US service members have been injured in the war, including eight troops who suffered severe injuries.
Iran’s military said it launched its “most intense” operation of the war overnight, targeting Israel and US assets in the region, according to state media.
Hormuz Threats
Tensions have been particularly high around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Three ships in the strait and the Arabian Gulf were reportedly struck in separate incidents on Wednesday.
Ahead of the strikes, the US military announced destroying Iranian naval ships, including 16 minelayers, near the strait amid reports that Iran has started laying mines in the vital waterway.
Oil markets have reacted nervously to the escalation, with traders closely watching developments around the Strait of Hormuz and the risk of further disruptions to global energy supplies.
War Aims, Endgame
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation have so far shown little progress, with both Washington and Tehran signaling they are prepared for continued confrontation if attacks persist.
The war, which began with coordinated US-Israeli strikes on February 28, continues amid pushback from many Democratic lawmakers demanding clearer answers on its objectives and duration amid the growing number of American casualties.
While Trump this week signaled that the war could end soon as it is “very complete, pretty much,” he said the US will still go further as it has not “won enough.”
Trump has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” as a condition for ending the US campaign.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has ruled out the possibility of a ceasefire or talks with the US currently, saying Iranian forces will “continue fighting for the sake of our people.”
“We did not start this war,” Iran International quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying in a news conference.
“Military aggression is continuing and therefore, in this situation, there is little place to discuss anything other than defense and a crushing response to the enemy.”
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