The United States launches a new round of strikes against Iran in response to an attack on U.S. forces in Jordan; the situation escalated further, and the conflict began spreading to multiple places across the Middle East.

　　The U.S. Central Command said in a post on a social media platform that U.S. forces struck dozens of military targets in actions earlier on Thursday, aiming to reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten the U.S., its Arab allies, and merchant ships in the region.

　　Kuwait’s military said Iran attacked a building in the northern part of the country, killing one worker and causing “significant” property damage. Jordan, meanwhile, said it had intercepted five missiles launched from Iran.

　　Egypt’s cabinet said that two liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships were attacked by drones at a port along the country’s Mediterranean coast, causing a fire, but no injuries were reported. At present, no party has claimed responsibility.

　　The attack on this LNG carrier was the first such incident in Egyptian waters since the outbreak of a war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran more than five months ago. During most of the conflict, Iran’s retaliatory actions mainly targeted Arab countries in the Persian Gulf and Jordan.

　　Saudi Arabia and Iraq have now also been pulled into the conflict. This week, Saudi Arabia, together with the United States, carried out strikes against Iran-backed militia groups inside Iraq in response to attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

　　After the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi forces announced a blockade of Saudi Arabia, they also attacked Saudi ships in the Red Sea.

　　The United States and Iran suspended their mutual attacks over the weekend to pave the way for further diplomatic talks to end the war. However, the brief calm was broken late Tuesday evening, when Tehran carried out what President Trump called an unexpected attack, firing multiple ballistic missiles at U.S. military bases in Jordan. The strike caused oil prices to surge.

　　“ We’re going to hit them hard, because now it’s our turn to strike back,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday, following a scene in which tensions had been dialed back over the previous two days. “They know what’s coming next.”

　　　There is currently no sign that the latest U.S. round of strikes targeted civilian infrastructure, so there is not yet any indication that military operations are being significantly expanded. Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran’s bridges and power plants in order to force Iran to agree to a new peace deal.

　　Oil prices continued to rise on Thursday. After a jump of 8% in the previous session, the benchmark Brent crude climbed another 1.4%, to above $92 per barrel.