US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch further strikes on Iran, despite his efforts to reach a deal to end the war.
"We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today," he told reporters at the White House at midday (1600 GMT).
The US launched strikes on Iran overnight, in what Trump said was a response to Iranian forces shooting down a US military helicopter in the waters off the coast of Oman on Monday night.
US troops bombarded air defence systems, ground control stations and radar installations in the area of the Strait of Hormuz, the US CENTCOM command responsible for the region wrote on X.
Tehran then retaliated by attacking US bases in the Gulf region as well as in Jordan. Kuwait's air defence was deployed, according to military statements. Sirens also sounded again in Bahrain.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump also renewed his demands for Iran to agree to a deal to end the war, which was launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
The US president said the parties "were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along, they keep playing us for suckers." He said Iran should sign the agreement, describing it as "a good deal."
