President Donald Trump issued orders for new military strikes on Iran while in Turkey for the NATO summit, as revealed by Axios.
According to the outlet, Trump approved the strike plan from Ankara following attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which the U.S. attributed to Iran.
Trump convened a meeting in the Turkish capital with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Beesent, alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Cain, and other U.S. officials.
The decision came during a NATO summit overshadowed by stark disagreements between Washington and several European allies over the conflict with Iran. Trump criticized the UK, France, Germany, and Italy for what he viewed as insufficient support for the United States.
An American official cited by Axios said the U.S. strikes were four to five times larger in scope and intensity compared to previous raids conducted about ten days earlier.
The targets included Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missile launch sites, as well as drone launch and port facilities.
The U.S. Central Command stated the strikes were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on the three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to impose "high costs" on Tehran for targeting commercial shipping.
The raids coincided with reports of explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Qeshm Island, as reported by Iranian state media, marking a new escalation threatening the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran.