Live updates: U.S. launches 2nd day of strikes; Iran fires back and says Strait of Hormuz closed

The U.S. and Iran escalated military tensions with a second day of strikes following the downing of a U.S. military helicopter. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed it fired 12 ballistic missiles at a U.S. airbase in Jordan, targeting facilities where American fighter jets are stationed, including Al Azraq airbase. In response, the U.S. continued its blockade in the Gulf of Oman, disabling the Palau-flagged tanker Settebello after its crew failed to comply with orders to halt oil transport from Iran. Three Indian nationals on the Settebello were killed, with two bodies recovered so far, according to India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal. Iran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route, though the U.S. Central Command stated the waterway remained open. Meanwhile, debris from an intercepted Iranian drone injured an 11-year-old girl in Bahrain, damaging homes and vehicles in Hamad Town and Manama. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry condemned Iran’s attacks as ‘sinful’ while first responders addressed the aftermath. Protests erupted in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where supporters of Iran-backed Hezbollah gathered to oppose U.S. and Israeli actions. Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon had previously killed at least 12 people, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese citizens to join Israel’s fight against Hezbollah. The escalating violence follows President Donald Trump’s warning that the U.S. would strike Iran ‘very hard’ again, accusing Tehran of delaying negotiations and refusing to pay a price for its actions.