Risk of US-Iran Military Conflict Escalates; Decision on All-Out War Rests with Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a massive airstrike against Iran on the 29th (local time). The strike comes five days after the President ordered a halt to airstrikes on the 24th to facilitate backchannel negotiations with Iran; Trump resumed the strikes after Iran attacked a U.S. military base in Jordan during the talks.

Regarding the Iranian attack that served as the pretext for the airstrikes, Iran claims to have attacked the Jordan base and destroyed U.S. fighter jets. However, the U.S. Central Command stated that there was no damage to U.S. aircraft from the Iranian attack, and that all missiles and drones launched by Iran were either intercepted or failed to hit their targets.

Separate from the armed conflict with Iran, the U.S. government announced additional sanctions against companies and individuals in China, Russia, and India for supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.