US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed on Wednesday that the United States launched a second consecutive night of airstrikes on key facilities in Iran, describing the attacks as part of ongoing negotiations for a permanent ceasefire. Speaking in Tampa, Florida, after leaving the US Central Command headquarters, Hegseth said the strikes were ordered by President Donald Trump and reviewed with CENTCOM Commander Admiral Bradley Cooper. CENTCOM later announced “additional self-defense strikes” at 5:15pm Eastern time, while Iran’s IRNA reported explosions in several cities, including Bandar Abbas and Gorgan.

The strikes follow the downing of a US AH-64 Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week, which Trump blamed on Iran. The renewed attacks have fractured the fragile truce established on April 8, amid conflicting explanations from Washington about the war’s purpose. Hegseth said the offensive was meant to pressure Iran into advancing stalled negotiations, echoing Trump’s warning that Tehran would “pay the price” for delays.

Iran has responded with strikes on US bases in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, signaling no intention to retreat. Analysts described Hegseth’s remarks as a return to “gunboat diplomacy,” using military force to gain diplomatic leverage.