War between Iran and the US has intensified, with Donald Trump ordering fresh strikes which he categorised as “self-defence”, as the US President hints at walking away from a peace deal.

For months now, the US President has promised a peace deal between Iran and the US was just weeks or days away, and even entered a ceasefire for 64 days, however, lasting peace now appears distant.

The downing of a US military Apache helicopter on Monday reignited tension between the US and Iran. Mr Trump claims Iran downed the chopper, while Iran claims it was not involved.

It sparked an intense retaliation from Mr Trump, conducting waves of strikes on Iranian targets, a move which has brought a fiery response from Tehran.

On Wednesday US time, the US commander in chief authorised additional strikes on Iran.

“U.S. Central Command forces began launching additional self-defense strikes today at 5:15 pm ET against multiple targets in Iran at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” a US CENTCOM statement confirmed.

“The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”

Now, the US and Iran have entered a dangerous and rapidly escalating tit-for-tat strike cycle, as both vow to attack if the other does.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday night said that Tehran will continue to “stand firm” against any threat.

“Critical infrastructures are the lifeblood of the people. Threats to target them—from transportation networks to the electricity and water industries—are not a show of strength but a sign of desperation in the face of a nation’s will,” he said in a statement.

“Iran, relying on the knowledge and capabilities of its specialists, national unity, and solidarity, will stand firm against any pressure or threat.”

The latest wave of strikes from the US in the past 24 hours appears to have solely focused on Iranian targets that are close in proximity to the Strait of Hormuz of deeper into the Persian Gulf.

Unconfirmed reports after the strikes were launched on Wednesday night claim a US Navy ship may have been struck by the IRGC.

If the claim is true, the US response would likely exponentially grow in magnitude.

The waterway is a key area of concern for Mr Trump, who is attempting to win and end a war that is proving highly unpopular with US citizens and the world.

The Strait, which Iran closed before the US stepped in to create a blockade around the closure, remains closed, keeping oil from flowing out of the Gulf.

However, on Wednesday night, Mr Trump revealed he has ordered a secret US operation to get oil and stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz. He claims the operation has now seen over 100 million barrels of oil going into the open market.

“Last month, I directed our Great U.S. Military to execute a secret mission to support Oil Tankers and other Commercial Ships through the Strait of Hormuz,” the US President said on Truth Social.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLION Barrels of Oil making its way through the Strait, and into the Open Market. More than 200 Commercial Ships have safely traveled through the Strait.

“This wildly successful effort is because the UNITED STATES of AMERICA CONTROLS the Strait of Hormuz — NOT Iran.”

Speaking from the White House, Mr Trump warned the latest strikes were going to “hit hard”.

“We hit them hard yesterday and we’re going to hit them again hard today,” he said from the Oval Office.

“We’ll see what happens with the deal.

“We were really close to a deal — but they keep tapping us along.

“They keep playing us for suckers because you know what? They dealt with some very stupid Presidents.”

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday: “What we do tonight, (is) going to advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position.”

Mr Hegseth also revealed that during the ceasefire between the US and Iran, the US expanded its intelligence on Iran, refreshing information on targets and devising new plans to cripple Tehran if needed.

“We will hit them hard,” he added, speaking about the strikes on Wednesday night.

Just 24 hours ago, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the US if it wanted to be safe, it needed to get out of Iran now.

“Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire. To reduce risk, the best solution is for them to leave,” he said.

The conflict also threatens to boil over into neighbouring Middle East countries.

The Houthis have threatened to enter into a wider Middle East regional war if the US continues to strike Iran, putting many Middle East nations that house US military bases on their land at risk.

Israel’s Defence Minister on Wednesday night said that the IDF stood ready to strike Iran again with great force.

“The campaign against Iran is far from over.” he told the media.

“The IDF is prepared to strike Iran with great force.”