Renewed Hostilities Erupt Between US and Iran
The United States military has reported conducting a new series of strikes against Iran, a development quickly followed by claims from Tehran of retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting US military installations located in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. This exchange marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two nations.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), responsible for American military operations across the Middle East, stated that it concluded an evening wave of strikes against Iranian targets at 9 PM ET on Wednesday (01:00 GMT on Thursday). These operations reportedly focused on "Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities." The stated objective of these strikes was to diminish Iran's capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
According to CENTCOM, the 90-minute operation specifically targeted the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, a crucial Iranian naval hub overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, coastal defense and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb island, one of three islands situated near the entrance to the waterway, were reportedly hit.
Widespread Reports of Attacks Across Iran
Following the US actions, Iranian air defenses were activated over the capital, Tehran, as state media outlets reported attacks impacting numerous regions across the country. Explosions were documented in Bandar Abbas and on the nearby Qeshm island in the south. Further reports indicated strikes in the southeastern coastal towns of Sirik, Chabahar, and Konarak. Iranian media also detailed attacks further inland, mentioning locations such as Rask, Khondab, Khorramabad, and Semnan.
Iranian authorities have indicated that there were no casualties in Pakdasht or at the Parchin military complex near Tehran. In the northern Iranian city of Semnan, state broadcaster IRIB, citing a senior security official, confirmed that there were no fatalities or injuries resulting from an attack in that area.
Al Jazeera, reporting from Tehran, noted that this incident marked the second reported US attack on northern Iran within a week. The report specified that the main building of a civilian airport in Semnan sustained minor damage, and a storage facility in the same city was also struck. Concurrently, in southwestern Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) asserted that it successfully intercepted and shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk in Khuzestan province.
Iran's Ministry of Health has released figures indicating that at least 35 individuals have been killed and over 300 injured since the latest round of fighting commenced last week, underscoring the human cost of the renewed conflict.
Iran's Claims of Retaliation Against US Bases
In response to the US strikes, Iran has declared that it carried out retaliatory missile and drone attacks against facilities utilized by the US military in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The Iranian army stated that its operations specifically targeted US radar and air defense systems in Kuwait and Bahrain.
A statement carried by Iranian state media claimed that missiles struck Patriot missile batteries and fuel tanks used by US forces at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Kuwait, for its part, reported intercepting four cruise missiles and 21 drones launched from Iran between Wednesday and early Thursday.
The Iranian army further asserted that drones targeted communications equipment, Super Hawk radar systems, and Patriot air defense installations deployed by US forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. Additionally, the Iranian military claimed missile and drone attacks on Jordan's al-Azraq Air Base.
In a statement directed at the Jordanian populace, the IRGC stated that it had "targeted and destroyed the American fighter jet storage ramp and the new American command and control center in West Asia in a very large base in Al-Azraq, Jordan, with Khyber-Shakan ballistic missiles." This declaration followed an earlier announcement by Jordan's military, which reported intercepting eight Iranian missiles on Wednesday.
Wider Implications and Previous Agreements
This recent escalation occurs less than a month after Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at extending an April ceasefire and outlining plans for negotiations to end the conflict, which began on February 28 with Israeli and US strikes on Iran. Both the US and Iran have since accused each other of violating the terms of this agreement.
Reports from Washington, DC, indicate that US President Donald Trump has increasingly signaled a willingness to broaden the scope of US military operations. Al Jazeera's correspondent noted that President Trump has repeatedly expressed his readiness to expand US military action beyond purely military facilities to potentially include civilian infrastructure targets such as power plants and bridges. Such suggestions have previously drawn criticism regarding their legality.
Amidst a US blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran's counter-blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM also reported disabling an oil tanker attempting to sail towards an Iranian port in the Strait of Hormuz. US forces reportedly fired Hellfire missiles into the vessel's smokestack after it ignored multiple warnings, stating that the ship was attempting to violate the US blockade. CENTCOM further added that during the initial 24 hours of enforcement, it had redirected two compliant commercial vessels and disabled one non-compliant vessel.
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