Iran targets US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain after Trump orders strikes near Strait of Hormuz
Iran attacked US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan with drones and missiles Wednesday in retaliation for American strikes on Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, according to its Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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The tit-for-tat strikes are among the biggest exchanges between the two warring countries since the pair agreed to a ceasefire in April and came after Iran shot down an American Apache helicopter Tuesday.
Nearly all of the Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted and there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries to US personnel or damage to US facilities, an anonymous US official confirmed to Reuters.
President Trump had vowed a “very strong, very powerful” response for the downed chopper, “and that’s what this one is,” Trump told ABC News on Tuesday.
The latest escalation threatens a potential deal between US and Iran to end the conflict, which just passed 100 days since the US-Israeli joint strikes on Feb. 28.
Trump claimed that Iran’s military had been “completely defeated,” in a Truth Social post early Wednesday morning — and blamed Iran for stalling negotiations.
“Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” the President wrote.
The latest US strikes targeted Iranian air defense, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites, according to the US military. They lasted around four hours and hit almost 20 Iranian targets, a US official said.
Tehran, in response, accused the US of repeatedly violating a ceasefire agreement.
The US, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed, has undermined the peace negotiations with continued strikes and its constantly changing positions.
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“Following overnight events, we need to re-assess (the diplomatic path with Washington) … any diplomatic process requires a minimum stable environment,” he said.
The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had attacked US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan with drones and missiles in response to the new “US aggression.”
Four sites were targeted at the US al-Azraq base in Jordan using long-range missiles, including F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control center.
The IRGC warned it was ready to deliver a “crushing and decisive” response to any further US attack.
Jordan and Kuwait’s military said it shot down Iranian missiles and drones Wednesday, while Bahrain officials said its air defenses had repelled Iranian attacks.
Two American pilots were rescued Tuesday after a US Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz by an Iranian attack drone.
Trump confirmed the crash while speaking to reporters at New York’s JFK Airport and said the pilots were “fine.”
“Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow, but the pilots are fine,” he said.
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With Post wires
