U.S. official, dozens of strikes are underway against Iran, carried out by U.S. jets operating from bases across the Middle East and from an aircraft carrier in the region, according to The New York Times, citing a U.S. official.
This development marks a major escalation in the ongoing US-Iran tensions, with the United States and Israel jointly conducting airstrikes on Iranian targets. Explosions have been reported in Tehran, prompting air-raid sirens in Israel and a state of emergency declaration.
The strikes follow weeks of intense military buildup by the U.S., including the deployment of two aircraft carrier strike groups—the USS Abraham Lincoln and the advanced USS Gerald R. Ford—along with dozens of fighter jets, bombers, refueling tankers, and other assets positioned within striking distance of Iran. This force, described as one of the largest U.S. military concentrations in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion, was assembled amid failed nuclear negotiations.
President Trump has repeatedly warned that Iran must abandon its nuclear program and related activities, or face severe consequences. The attacks come after indirect talks in Geneva failed to produce a breakthrough, with U.S. officials aiming to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missiles, and support for proxy groups.
Reports indicate the strikes target military and possibly nuclear-related sites, building on a previous 12-day conflict in June 2025 where U.S. and Israeli forces damaged key Iranian facilities.