Dubai (AFP) – The United States struck Iran and Tehran hit back at US allies in the Gulf, as the foes battled over the vital Strait of Hormuz in the renewed Middle East war. Here are Thursday’s latest developments:
Iran says US base in Jordan targeted
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had struck a US air base in Jordan with ballistic missiles in response to what they described as an American attack near a children’s cancer hospital in Iran. The IRGC said US forces had “used air bases located in Jordan to target various parts of Iran, including the vicinity of a children’s cancer hospital”, and that it responded by “launching two waves of missile strikes” on the bases in Jordan, according to the Guards’ website.
‘Crush’ infrastructure
An Iranian military spokesman warned, meanwhile, that Iran would “crush” regional infrastructure if the United States attacks Iran’s key facilities.
US targets in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan hit
Iranian state media reported that the Iranian military carried out separate drone attacks on US bases and facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The army said it targeted the “communication systems and fuel storage facilities of the U.S. military” in Jordan. Separately, the military said it struck “radar systems, a Patriot air defence system, and fuel storage facilities at Ali Al Salem Air Base” in Kuwait and US military facilities at the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, IRIB reported. Kuwait’s military said it intercepted “drone attacks following the nefarious Iranian aggression”, and Bahrain’s interior ministry urged citizens and residents to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place”.
US completes new strikes
The US military said it completed an evening wave of strikes against Iran, in which it targeted command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities in a bid to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten “innocent mariners” in the Strait of Hormuz. The military said it struck targets in multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas. In an earlier attack, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces struck coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island during a 90-minute wave.
Pakistan calls for new Iran-US talks
Pakistan said it would encourage the United States and Iran to stop attacks and resume talks under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) it helped mediate last month. “While the implementation of the MoU is facing challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the MoU,” Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman, told reporters in Islamabad.
Iranians killed
Seven hours of US raids on Wednesday hit dozens of targets, the US military said, with the Iranian army saying seven personnel had been killed in a missile strike at a barracks close to the southeastern city of Iranshahr. “US fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and coastal defence systems during the seven-hour wave to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and civilian crews,” CENTCOM said.
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