Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced retaliatory attacks on U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan early Thursday morning, after the U.S. announced strikes on several targets in Iran. This is the second consecutive day that Iran has attacked U.S. bases in the region in response to U.S. strikes, CNN reports, according to UNN.
Details
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the first night of strikes was retaliation for the downing of an army helicopter, but when announcing the second round, he cited slow progress in military negotiations.
He said Iran would "pay a price" for "taking too long to negotiate a deal" and that all Tehran needs to do is "start signing the document."
Tehran will pay for delaying negotiations, they have no army – Trump10.06.26, 16:16
Trump warned that strikes could resume "tomorrow" if a deal is not reached. He said senior Iranian officials asked him to stop the latest attack, Fox News reports.
Here is what else is known:
- U.S. bases under attack: In Jordan, Americans were warned to take cover. The IRGC claimed it "destroyed facilities and a large number of fighter jets" at the Al-Azraq airbase, state media reported. Kuwait closed its airspace, and air defenses fired at "hostile targets," state media reported, citing the country's military. In Bahrain, sirens wailed, according to the country's Ministry of Interior;
- Iran threatens the Strait of Hormuz: The vital oil trade route, which has been almost completely closed since the start of the war, will be "closed to all vessels," the IRGC stated. U.S. Central Command dismissed the Iranian claim, stating that commercial vessels continue to transit in and out of the strait, which the IRGC denied. A senior Iranian military official, IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Seyed Majid Mousavi, warned that Iran could turn the Middle East "into hell" if the strait is unsafe;
- U.S. targets: U.S. Central Command stated it "struck Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense facilities throughout Iran";
- Consequences in Iran: After the U.S. launched strikes, Iranian state media reported explosions were heard across much of Iran. Blasts were heard in cities near the capital, Tehran, including Abyek, Qarchak, Minab, Nazarabad, and Karaj. Other locations are further south, near the Strait of Hormuz, including Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Kharg Island—a major oil hub in the Persian Gulf. Explosions were also heard in the city of Shiraz in Fars province.