6 Fallouts from the Latest US-Iran Tit-for-Tat Attacks
The United States and Iran have exchanged a new barrage of attacks. The latest US strikes hit 140 targets in Iran, which were subsequently met with Iranian retaliation against a number of Gulf states.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated it launched the latest strikes in response to an attack on a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had fired warning shots at a vessel attempting to use an unofficial route to cross the waters.
The tit-for-tat attacks between the US and Iran resulted in a container ship catching fire in the Strait of Hormuz. Eleven Indian nationals were affected when their vessel was attacked during the exchange of fire. Additionally, several Gulf countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait, were impacted by Iranian strikes on US military facilities.
US Strikes 140 Iranian Targets
The US military targeted 140 sites in Iran, focusing on missile and drone locations as well as ammunition storage depots. “US forces struck approximately 140 Iranian military targets with precision munitions launched by land and sea-based fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels,” CENTCOM said in a statement. The targets included missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance locations. The US military has struck more than 300 targets over three nights. “Over three nights of strikes this week, CENTCOM has hit more than 300 targets at the direction of the Commander-in-Chief to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial vessels freely transiting the strait,” it added.
Iran Retaliates by Striking US Bases
Iran retaliated against the latest US strikes by launching missile and drone attacks on several US military facilities in neighbouring countries. The latest Iranian strikes targeted a number of Gulf states, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Based on reports from journalists and local authorities, sirens and explosions were heard in Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain. The latest escalation undermined a temporary agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.
The Pentagon said it struck Iran after the IRGC fired on a Cypriot-flagged container ship it claimed was sailing through an “unauthorised route” in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask, and Qeshm Island, as well as in Khuzestan province bordering Iraq, with no immediate reports of casualties. Hours later, air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, while the UAE and Qatar reported intercepting missile attacks.
Meanwhile, Iran’s military claimed it launched waves of drone strikes against US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain. Iran reportedly used explosive drones to target Patriot air defence systems, ammunition depots, and radar sites belonging to the US military in Kuwait. Another wave of Iranian drone strikes targeted US communication systems and radar sites in Bahrain. Iranian military officials said the attacks were a response to what they called continued US strikes on southern Iran.
Iranian Strikes in Jordan
The IRGC said it targeted US military facilities at the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan with several ballistic missiles. In a statement broadcast by state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC said its aerospace force destroyed a command and control centre at the base, as well as a hangar housing MQ-9 drones.
Iranian Strikes in Oman
The IRGC claimed to have carried out a “heavy and sudden” strike against logistical support centres and refuelling platforms used by US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm in Oman. The IRGC’s public relations office said the sites were “destroyed” in the attack, describing the strikes on Oman as the third phase of their response to the US bombing.
Vessel Carrying Indian Nationals Attacked
India said 11 of its citizens were on board a vessel attacked in waters east of Oman during the exchange of fire between Iran and the US. Ten individuals survived, while one Indian national was reported missing. “Of the 11 Indian nationals on board the vessel, 10 have been rescued so far, while one Indian national is reported to be missing,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Search and rescue operations were ongoing after the commercial vessel, GFS Galaxy, was attacked off the coast of Oman. US Central Command said the ship was disabled by fire and damage to its engine room, accusing Tehran of attacking the vessel. India’s foreign ministry described the attack on commercial shipping in the region as “deeply concerning” and insisted that free navigation in international waters must be in accordance with international law. “The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must end,” it said.
Kuwait and Oman Condemn Latest Strikes
The IRGC targeted several US military facilities in Gulf states. Oman and Kuwait condemned the latest Iranian strikes on their territorial sovereignty. “The continuation of these attacks represents a highly dangerous escalation that will exacerbate tensions and instability in the region,” the Omani foreign ministry said in a statement. Kuwait assessed that the Iranian strikes on its territory threatened peace.