Tensions in the Middle East reached a boiling point after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy and Aerospace Forces launched a massive joint operation with missiles and drones against strategic US military sites in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian state television quoted an official statement from the Corps, according to which key infrastructure facilities at four US bases were attacked and partially destroyed:
- In Kuwait: The bases “Ali al-Salem“ and “Arifjan“.
- In Bahrain: The bases “Al-Juffair“ and “Sheikh Isa“.
Iranian forces claim that the operation hit a total of 85 US military sites and shot down a US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone over Bushehr province. The IRGC issued an ultimatum that if US attacks were repeated, Tehran would expand its retaliatory actions and target all remaining US bases in the Middle East.
Timeline of the escalation
The Iranian strike comes just hours after US Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out a large-scale air operation, hitting more than 80 targets in southern Iran. The US strikes targeted Iranian air defence systems, radar stations and more than 60 fast-moving KGIR boats in the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington justified its actions as “absolutely necessary retaliation“ after three commercial oil tankers were attacked in the strait earlier this week - acts for which the White House directly blamed Iran. US President Donald Trump, who is attending a NATO summit in Turkey, announced that the interim peace agreement with Iran is now “finally concluded”. As an additional measure, the US has also revoked permits for the free export of Iranian crude oil.
What is the situation in the attacked countries?
- Kuwait: The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Army confirmed that the national air defense systems were activated in active mode to intercept hostile missiles and drones. The authorities called on the population to remain calm and explained that the explosions heard were the result of the successful work of the air defense.
- Bahrain: The Ministry of Interior has activated air raid sirens across the country. Citizens were ordered to immediately head to the nearest safe havens. The country is home to the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, making it a prime target.
- International reaction:Qatar, who until the moment of acting as the key mediator in the negotiations between Washington and Tehran, came out with a sharp expression. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha sent Iranian strikes and a prize for the unamusing misrepresentation of diplomacy, for saving the region from a massive war.
The conflict has been left open, and shine the energy of the pazars of the veche reactiha with a ryazk skok in the value of petrol for the sake of crying from the full zatvaryan on the Hormuz duct from the country to Iran.
Sources: IRIB, Reuters, CNN and CNA