US-Iran Conflict Escalates: Bombers Deploy, Rocket Attack on US Base, and New Sanctions

The United States has sent its B‑1 strategic bomber, stationed in the United Kingdom, toward Iran – the first use of this long‑range bomber since the renewed air campaign began. President Donald Trump has claimed Iran’s military is "completely destroyed," yet Iranian missiles continued to strike U.S. installations, including a night attack on the Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan that killed three U.S. soldiers and later a fourth from an unexploded drone munition.

Trump later warned of "massive military punitive measures" after Iranian‑backed Houthi militants hit Saudi-flagged tankers in the Red Sea, demanding Iran pay for ship damage and triggering a sharp rise in global oil prices. At the same time, Germany withdrew its mine‑hunters Fulda and Mosel from the Strait of Hormuz, redeploying them to the eastern Mediterranean amid heightened Houthi threat.

The broader confrontation continues with Iran launching rockets at bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, while U.S. air defenses intercepted several projectiles. Tehran’s air‑defense systems were also activated over the capital, underscoring the escalating tit‑for‑tat conflict across the region.