Iran threatened to take a tougher line in its war with the United States on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) after the heaviest exchanges in weeks left at least 19 Iranians dead, including four at a wedding -- an incident slammed as a “war crime” by Tehran.
A wave of Iranian attacks earlier targeted US bases in Jordan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, after extensive U.S. bombardment hit sites across Iran.
Watch | U.S., Iran exchange fresh strikes near Strait of Hormuz U.S.
President Donald Trump had warned earlier of “much harder and higher” attacks if Iran retaliated to the U.S. strikes, which Iran’s military and state media said killed 18 people.
U.S.
Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Tim Hawkins said “the U.S. military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC”, referring to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The latest flare-up is part of a cycle of retaliation that followed U.S. strikes on Iran, with fighting over the Hormuz strait expanding to Washington’s Gulf allies, military bases and commercial shipping.
It began when Washington hit Iranian targets on Sunday (August 30, 2026), the first known strikes in several weeks, after which Tehran’s forces targeted US troops in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, and projectiles struck two oil tankers in unclaimed attacks. (With inputs from agencies) Follow live updates here:
