The US military said it completed a heavy wave of strikes against Iran on Thursday in retaliation for Tehran targeting American bases in Jordan, as intensified fighting fueled the risk of a return to all-out war in the region.
The new strikes were launched hours after Donald Trump vowed to hit Iran very hard after a days-long pause in violence between the two sides.
Jordan foils Iranian missile attempt
Jordan's military said later it had foiled an Iranian attempt to target the kingdom with five missiles, the state news agency reported. There were no casualties.
US strikes target IRGC
US forces struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets including military command centres, US Central Command said. Iran's state news agency Irna reported strikes on several cities in the south-western Khuzestan province, as well as on Qeshm island in the Gulf. Areas around the cities of Abadan, Shadegan, Arvandkenar and Ahvaz – all in Khuzestan – were struck, Irna said, citing provincial authorities.
Earlier US-Saudi strikes in Iraq
Earlier, the US partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Iran-backed militias in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. Saudi Arabia had reported two days of drone attacks targeting crude facilities.
Drone strikes on vessels in Egypt
Drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels in Egypt's port of Damietta, British maritime security firm Ambrey said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker.
Hezbollah accused of truce violation
The Israeli military accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of a truce violation in Lebanon, saying it had fired a drone at an Israeli vehicle.
Oil prices fall despite attacks
Oil prices erased some of their previous gains despite the escalating attacks around the Gulf, with Brent futures falling 1.06% to $89.78 a barrel as of 0418 GMT Thursday. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.76% to $83.82 a barrel.
