The US military launched wide-scale bombing runs against Iran for the first time in days, hitting dozens of military sites as the crisis spread wider in the region, dragging in Egypt for the first time.
Egypt Drawn In
A fire broke out on a US-owned vessel in the Egyptian port of Damietta after it was hit in a drone strike, marking the first time the country had been hit during the crisis. Saudi Arabia also carried out joint strikes with the US on Iranian proxies in Iraq, after months of Riyadh resisting the conflict.
Strikes Across Iran
America's response was described as a 'heavy wave of strikes' in retaliation for Tehran's assault. Explosions were heard across southern Iran, including Bandar Abbas, Kish and Qeshm Island, according to Iranian state media. US Central Command said its strikes, which lasted two hours, had struck military command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defence sites, and maritime capabilities. It accused Iran of an attack overnight on Tuesday, but insisted that all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.
Casualties and Regional Impact
Iran said US strikes killed three of its soldiers Thursday. Jordan said it intercepted Iranian missiles for a second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike there killed one person. Reports from within Iran suggested US forces bombed a building on Iran's Qeshm Island, killing a couple and their two-year-old child. Israeli forces killed at least four Palestinians, including two children, and wounded dozens more in attacks on Gaza.
IRGC Warnings and Strait of Hormuz
In a statement directed to Jordan, Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its fighters targeted the al-Azraq airbase, which hosts US F-35 fighter jets. It said the attack was in response to the US strike on Qeshm Island. The IRGC also claimed responsibility for an attack on the US Ali al-Salem military base in Kuwait. Earlier, Kuwait said that one worker had been killed in an Iranian attack on a building of a Chinese company in the north of the country.
The IRGC warned the US “will be punished today” following the latest wave of attacks. It had earlier released a statement warning countries helping the US of a harsh response if they “do not correct their behaviour”. The IRGC reaffirmed its claim over the Strait of Hormuz, saying it's “our land” and its sailors have “full control over it”. “A stranger who has come from thousands of kilometres away will not be allowed to interfere,” the corps added. “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be reopened as long as the American authorities' exaggerations and threats and their interference in maritime movements in the region continue.”
Talks with Omani officials are ongoing in Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Foreign Ministry says.
