Iran Launches Fresh Missile Barrage Across Middle East as Trump Claims Progress in Backchannel Talks

 

Iran fired a new wave of ballistic missiles and drones at targets across the Middle East on Wednesday, striking Israel and U.S. military-linked sites in Gulf countries, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled advancing diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the salvo, which included attacks on Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and sites in southern Israel, as well as bases hosting U.S. forces in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain. Reports indicate damage to residential areas in Israel, power infrastructure in Kuwait, and a military site in Bahrain, where a Moroccan contractor was previously killed in similar strikes. Air defenses in several Gulf states intercepted many incoming projectiles, but some impacts were confirmed, contributing to a rising civilian toll in the region.7254f1

Trump, speaking earlier, had described “very good and productive conversations” with Iranian intermediaries, including possible involvement from figures like Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf through U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He suggested the talks—focused on de-escalation, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s nuclear program—were yielding results and that a deal could come soon, even claiming Iran had agreed in principle not to pursue nuclear weapons. Markets briefly steadied on the optimism.5cac2f

However, Iranian officials and the IRGC quickly pushed back, denying direct negotiations and warning against portraying any future agreement as a “defeat.” One IRGC spokesman stated that contradictory U.S. signals would not deter operations on the battlefield. Tehran has maintained that it is responding to ongoing U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that began in late February and have targeted Iranian military and regime sites, including in Tehran.1d266d

The conflict, which escalated dramatically after initial U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, has now spread regionally. Iran has launched thousands of drones and missiles not only at Israel but also at U.S. allies in the Gulf, while Israel and the U.S. continue precision strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Civilian casualties have mounted on multiple sides, with reports of injuries in Tel Aviv, southern Israel, and Gulf locations. Global oil prices remain volatile amid disruptions to energy shipping and Iranian threats to regional facilities.b634c1

Analysts describe the situation as a high-stakes mix of military pressure and diplomacy. While Trump has postponed certain strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure to allow talks to proceed, Israeli officials have vowed to press on with operations to degrade Iran’s missile capabilities. A reported U.S. 15-point ceasefire proposal has been shared with Iran via intermediaries, though details remain limited and Tehran has expressed skepticism.

As of Wednesday, the war—now in its fourth week—shows no immediate signs of ending, despite the diplomatic overtures. Both sides appear to be balancing battlefield actions with negotiations, raising fears of further escalation even as backchannels remain active.