U.S. Strikes Iranian Coast as Tehran Launches Attacks on Regional Bases
The United States struck Iranian military targets on its southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to launch missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq in the largest exchange of fire since July. [1]
U.S. Strikes Hit Iranian Coast and Military Sites
The U.S. military's Central Command said it struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air defences, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites on Tuesday. [1] Iranian media reported hits on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz. [1] Iranian media reported explosions in areas including Sirik, where a wedding party was hit, killing at least five civilians including a four-year-old and wounding dozens. [1] Iranian media said as many as 68 people were wounded in Sirik, and released images of several injured children in hospital. [1] Video filmed by Iran's West Asia News Agency at the purported site showed rubble strewn across rooms and a courtyard of a home, with a pair of strappy women's dress sandals lying abandoned on a blood-soaked carpet. [1] Iranian officials compared the incident to a strike on a girls' school that killed 160 people on the war's first night. [1] Reuters was unable to independently verify the incident and U.S. officials did not comment on it. [1]
Iranian Retaliation Targets U.S. Bases Across Region
Iran responded by striking what it said were U.S. assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq. [1] Iran's aim was now to drive U.S. forces out of the vast network of military bases they have maintained for decades across the Middle East. [1] Jordan's military said it dealt with 13 missiles, 10 of which were intercepted and three which fell in remote areas. [1] The IRGC said it killed a large number of U.S. forces in Jordan, but U.S. officials told Reuters there had not been any casualties, according to initial assessments. [1] In Kuwait, Iran said it had carried out a missile and drone attack on the vast U.S. Ali Al Salem Air Base and targeted the accommodation of a U.S. commander. [1] Kuwait’s fire service said crews put out a blaze at a residential complex early on Wednesday that was struck by an Iranian drone causing damage but no casualties. [1] Bahrain, which houses the regional headquarters of the U.S. Navy, said Iranian drones were intercepted and destroyed. [1] The IRGC said its ground forces carried out combined missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Erbil in northern Iraq, claiming to have killed several U.S. personnel there. [1] Neither Iraq nor the U.S. confirmed the attack. [1] Qatar, home of the largest U.S. airbase in the Gulf, said it holds the Islamic Republic of Iran fully legally responsible for these attacks and their repercussions and consequences. [1]
Mines Strike Tankers in Strait of Hormuz
Iran also said two tankers had been struck by mines while being steered across the Strait of Hormuz by U.S. operatives through a channel that Tehran says it has closed. [1] The IRGC said two oil tankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz, with the tankers exploding after hitting mines and now on fire. [5] Iran warned shipping companies against using routes it has declared closed and threatened further action. [5]
Rising Death Toll and Military Losses in Iran
Iran's IRGC reported the overall death toll from U.S. strikes rose to 18, including four members of its Aerospace Force killed in Kermanshah province. [2] According to the IRGC and the semi-official Fars News Agency, the four Aerospace Force members were killed in U.S. airstrikes on Kermanshah province. [2] Iranian media reported that the death toll from U.S. attacks across Iran over the past 24 hours has risen to 18. [2] Iranian media reported at least 12 deaths from the night of U.S. strikes, with five people including a four-year-old said to have been killed while celebrating a wedding at a home in Sirik. [1]
Market and Economic Fallout
Asian and European stocks fell after the renewed U.S. airstrikes, which pushed oil prices back up to levels unseen since July, compounding the economic impact of a global sell-off in bonds as disrupted energy supplies fuel inflation worldwide. [1] Oil prices rose above $95 per barrel for Brent crude amid fears of disrupted energy supplies. [4] Brent petrol exceeded 95 dollars a barrel after the new U.S. strikes were announced. [4] The rise in oil prices was driven by security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz. [4]
Statements From Trump and Iranian Command
U.S. President Donald Trump said the strikes were in response to Iran's attempts to re-mine the strait and its missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. [4] Trump claimed the United States had not yet carried out its biggest attack and warned that heavier strikes would follow if Iran responds. [4] Trump told Fox News that Iran had not taken the right steps toward an agreement and that any deal with them would have no more value than the paper it was written on. [4] Trump said he liked the U.S. position much better now, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait and Iran's economy totally collapsing. [1] He asked when the Iranian people were going to rise up and fight. [1] Iran's military command said American evil in the region will be met with heavier, more widespread, and devastating responses, and any country that cooperates with the aggressive American army must accept its dangerous consequences. [1] The IRGC said the United States would regret its new attacks and that a heavy punishment awaited them. [4] Iran vowed to deliver a regrettable response to the strikes that would tighten the lock on the Strait of Hormuz. [4]
What to watch next: Iran has vowed heavier, more widespread and devastating responses while the United States has warned of further strikes if Tehran continues its actions.
