The US military announced on Thursday that it had “ended” its latest wave of attacks targeting “military reconnaissance capabilities, communications systems and air defense sites on Iranian soil”. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), in turn, said it had hit bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to US strikes. TASR informs about it based on the reports of AFP, AP and DPA agencies.
In short:
- The US military has carried out precision strikes on Iran’s reconnaissance and defense systems
- The Iranian Revolutionary Guards subsequently hit American air bases in Kuwait with missiles
- Kuwait has temporarily closed its airspace due to risks to civil aviation
- Iran fired ballistic missiles at US fighter jets
“Members of the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy used precision-guided munitions against Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international merchant shipping in the region’s (Middle East) waters,” the U.S. Army’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the X Network.
Strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain
“The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression. U.S. forces remain alert, ready to strike, and capable of inflicting casualties on the adversary,” CENTCOM added.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they have hit nearly two dozen targets in response to US strikes. “During two waves of attacks, 18 important US military targets at air bases were hit,” the IRGC in Kuwait said in a statement quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Problems in air transport
Kuwait announced on Thursday that it had temporarily closed its airspace and diverted flights to alternative airports. “This measure comes in the context of Iranian attacks on Kuwait and the potential risks they pose to civil aviation in the region,” the country’s civil aviation authority said in a statement.
“The airspace will be reopened and air traffic will be resumed as soon as the situation stabilizes and the causes of the threat are removed,” he added.
Ballistic Iranian missiles
The US Embassy in Jordan, in turn, warned that “reports indicate that there are missiles, drones or missiles in Jordanian airspace.”
The IRGC later said it had fired 12 ballistic missiles to hit US F-35, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as key equipment used by US forces at a base and command center in Jordan.
Strikes on the American fleet
Iranian media previously reported that Tehran also attacked the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, which plays a key role in protecting sea lanes and energy corridors in the Middle East.
Fox News reported that US President Donald Trump said that if Tehran does not sign the agreement presented by US negotiators, the United States will “bomb Iran again tomorrow night”.
Trump on retaliation
Trump also said that “49 Tomahawk missiles were used to strike targets in Iran, some of which hit targets as little as 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the capital, Tehran.” According to the president, American fighter jets also operated in the country’s airspace, destroying radar systems and air defenses in its southwestern part near the Persian Gulf.
The president added on television that he had been contacted by high-ranking Iranian officials and asked the United States to stop the bombing.
Closure of the Strait of Hormuz
The attacks began before midnight CST. Iranian media, including state agencies, reported on explosions in several places in the south of the country and near the aforementioned Tehran.
He announced that any ship passing through Hormuz would be targeted for attack and that he had completely closed the strait to shipping. However, CENTCOM denied this. “Merchant ships continue to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz,” the US command said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said the United States would attack Iran despite a cease-fire that has been in effect since April and despite efforts to reach an agreement to end the war.
