Iran Threatens 'Devastating Response' as Tit-for-Tat Strikes with US Escalate
The United States military has conducted new strikes against several targets in Iran in response to a fresh attack by Tehran on a ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran has threatened that further aggression will be met with a ‘devastating response’. The exchange of fire between Iran and the United States resumed after the US targeted multiple sites in Iran, retaliating for an Iranian attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire.
Iran also launched attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to the latest US strikes, triggering condemnation from both Gulf nations. The US military stated that CENTCOM forces carried out strikes as a direct response to Iran’s continued aggression against commercial shipping, noting that Iran had previously attacked the Panama-flagged oil tanker Kiku, which was carrying over two million barrels of crude oil. US Navy and Air Force fighter jets conducted strikes against 10 Iranian military targets at several locations in and near the Strait of Hormuz, targeting surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage facilities, and mine-laying capabilities.
In retaliation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard struck US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, warning that further aggression would be met with a ‘devastating response’. The IRGC stated it destroyed eight critical US military facilities at the Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait and at the Fifth Fleet naval base in Salman Port, Bahrain. The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the latest Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack, stating it violated the country’s sovereignty and undermined opportunities for de-escalation and stability in the region. Bahrain called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address the situation and affirmed its right to defend its sovereignty.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the new Iranian attack on its territory, describing it as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty. The ministry warned that such attacks undermine ongoing regional and global de-escalation efforts and stated that Kuwait reserves the full right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, security, and stability. Iran’s Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the latest US strikes on its southern coast, calling them a ‘brutal attack’ that violated the ceasefire memorandum of understanding. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attempt to alter or adopt new rules regarding the Strait of Hormuz beyond those agreed upon by Iran would increase tensions and delay the strait’s reopening.