In response to the US repeated violation of the ceasefire announced in April and attacks on Iran’s major sites, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it had once again launched salvos at United States military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, while also targeting two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for renewed waves of US attacks on the country.
The IRGC announced that it had launched drone strikes on Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa airbase as well as Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al-Jaber airbases, while simultaneously firing 12 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Al-Azraq airbase, thereby widening the theatre of confrontation and signalling that the conflict had entered an even more volatile phase, according to Al Jazeera.
The IRGC further asserted that two oil tankers attempting to “illegally pass through” the Strait of Hormuz had also been struck, while declaring the strategically vital waterway closed until further notice and warning that all commercial and oil traffic would henceforth be treated as legitimate targets.
The renewed attacks prompted Bahrain to activate air raid sirens on two occasions, whereas Kuwait stated that its air defence systems intercepted hostile aerial targets.
The IRGC maintained that the strikes were a direct response to what it described as the US’s repeated violations of the April ceasefire, accusing the US of pursuing continued military aggression instead of diplomatic engagement.
The retaliatory operation followed renewed American strikes across Iran after the US Central Command announced attacks on multiple targets inside the country at the direction of President Donald Trump, who justified the military action as a response to what the US characterised as Iran’s unwarranted and sustained aggression.
Iranian reports indicated that approximately a dozen locations were hit in three waves of attacks, including areas in Karaj west of Tehran and Abyek county, while explosions were also reported on the islands of Qeshm and Kish and in the coastal cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik along the Strait of Hormuz.
Blasts additionally struck the southern city of Kargan, where at least two people were reported injured.
According to the US Central Command, the operation targeted Iran’s military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defence sites before concluding several hours after it had commenced.
The latest exchange followed a previous day of tit-for-tat attacks that had been triggered by the downing of a US Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, an incident for which the US blamed Iran while stating that the two pilots had been rescued unharmed.
Amid the intensifying hostilities, President Trump accused Iran of delaying negotiations for a peace agreement and warned that the country would face severe consequences if it continued to resist a settlement, even threatening strikes against power plants and bridges.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian responded that critical infrastructure constituted the lifeblood of the nation and argued that threats against such facilities represented not strength but desperation, while affirming that Iran would rely upon national unity and the capabilities of its specialists to withstand external pressure as indirect negotiations over an interim agreement remained deadlocked.