US strikes deeper into Iran as Tehran retaliates with drone attacks on Gulf bases
The United States intensified its airstrikes against Iran early on Thursday, hitting targets further north and firing on a ship it accused of trying to break its naval blockade, according to U.S. officials. Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire targeting bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait before dawn, Iranian state media reported.
The back-and-forth strikes between the U.S. and Iran across West Asia have escalated days of violence, threatening to collapse an interim deal that had paused the earlier phase of the Iran war. The renewed hostilities also raise the risk of a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil shipments.
Iranian officials said the U.S. strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300 others. For the first time in this round of violence, strikes reached areas around Iran's capital, Tehran.
The U.S. military said it completed an evening wave of strikes targeting command centres, air defence sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on social media that the strikes aimed to 'further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.'
Strikes hit multiple locations, including Bandar Abbas and Greater Tunb Island, where U.S. forces targeted coastal defence and cruise missile sites during a 90-minute wave. 'The U.S. military is holding Iran accountable at the commander-in-chief’s direction,' CENTCOM added.
Iranian state media reported that the Iranian military carried out separate drone attacks on U.S. bases and facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. The attacks targeted communication systems and fuel storage facilities in Jordan, radar systems and a Patriot air defence system in Kuwait, and U.S. military facilities at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
Kuwait’s military said it intercepted 'drone attacks following the nefarious Iranian aggression,' while Bahrain’s interior ministry urged citizens and residents to 'remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.'
Since the U.S. and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, causing oil and fertiliser prices to soar globally. The interim deal had provided some relief, but the latest escalation has put the region back on the brink of all-out war.
