WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/AMMAN/DOHA ― US forces on Tuesday launched fresh strikes on targets of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran, marking a renewed escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran.

If Iran "retaliates for this very justified attack, they will be hit again at a much harder and higher level," US President Donald Trump warned in a post on Truth Social, describing the new strikes near the Strait of Hormuz as "large and powerful."

"But it will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!" Trump threatened in the post.

In a phone interview with Fox News, he claimed US forces destroyed "a lot of radar" in Iran's network, including systems Tehran attempted to rebuild.

"This is a very big hit today. If it goes a third time, they're going to be totally wiped out as a country," Trump said.

"The (USS) George Washington is loaded to the gills," he added. "We're loaded up."

Trump said Gulf allies were notified ahead of the latest strikes, according to a Fox News report.

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Trump's remarks came shortly after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced fresh strikes on IRGC targets in Iran at 12 pm Eastern Time (1600 GMT).

The CENTCOM said the strikes followed recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against US service members deployed in the region.

Explosions were heard Tuesday in the Iranian port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, and on Qeshm Island, reports reaching here said.

Citing sources, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the Iranian military on Tuesday evening launched missiles toward US bases in regional countries.

At least two people were killed, and 20 others were injured on Tuesday night in a US strike targeting a wedding ceremony in Iran's southern Sirik county in Hormozgan province, Fars news agency reported. 

Two crude oil tankers were struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening, Greece-based maritime risk organization Marisks said on Tuesday. 

IRGC retaliates after US strikes

The IRGC said Tuesday night it has started strikes against US bases and assets in the region in retaliation for US attacks against southern Iranian provinces earlier in the day, which killed at least five and wounded over 50 others.

In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said its "regret-inducing response against the aggressors" have begun, noting its air defense had shot down a "hostile" US MQ-9 Reaper drone.

Its aerospace forces also launched ballistic missile and drone strikes on Camp Titin in Jordan and Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, reportedly killing "a large number of" US troops and destroying several key facilities and combat helicopters.

It stressed that the US strikes will only protract the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and make the Iranian armed forces more determined to "suppress the foreign forces interfering in the waterway."

Meanwhile, the Jordanian Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) said later that the country's air defense systems on Tuesday evening intercepted and destroyed 10 of 13 ballistic missiles that entered the country's airspace from Iran in the past hours.

Three other missiles fell in remote areas away from population centers, with no casualties or loss of life reported, according to a JAF statement.

US warns citizens in Qatar of regional tensions

The US embassy in Qatar issued a security alert on Tuesday urging US citizens to exercise heightened vigilance amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, warning of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions.

The embassy said that the regional security environment "remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation" and advised US citizens to closely monitor airport and airline operations.

It also cautioned that US diplomatic facilities, including those outside the Middle East, have been targeted, and that "Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other US interests overseas," including businesses and other institutions.

The embassy advised US citizens to stay aware of their surroundings, avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, and in the event of an aerial attack, steer clear of glass doors, windows, and fallen debris. 

Commitments under peace MoU

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that if the US returns to its commitments under the peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran, Tehran will be ready to fulfill its obligations.

Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek, according to a statement from his office.

Pezeshkian stressed that the US can no longer impose its "illegal" demands on Iran by force.

ALSO READ: Iran's president says peace MoU with US in interests of Tehran

Referring to the US and Israeli "aggression" against Iran that killed Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with military commanders and civilians, he said that "these crimes did not have any legal basis, and such an aggression is in no way justifiable."

Qatar: Mediation efforts intensifying

Qatar said on Tuesday that diplomatic efforts with its regional partners are intensifying to reach a swift solution to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, warning that leaving the issue unresolved would lead to further escalation.

Speaking at the foreign ministry's weekly media briefing, ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said discussions remained underway with Qatar's mediation partners, including Oman and Pakistan, following a series of diplomatic visits and consultations in recent days.

Al Ansari said that there was no "tangible result" yet to announce but that further outcomes of the discussions and visits would be disclosed in the coming days, adding that diplomatic efforts over the past several days had centered on resolving the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

He said that Qatar was working with its partners to ensure that the crisis ends through "a diplomatic resolution that guarantees that the strait is open."

Such a solution should allow products from the region to reach global markets, guarantee regional security and address the aspirations of the region's peoples for prosperity and security, Al Ansari added.