US and Iran exchange strikes in first escalation in weeks
Iran announced that it targeted sites housing US forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, in retaliation for US airstrikes that hit Iran’s Larak Island. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the US strikes resulted in several casualties, marking the first direct escalation between Washington and Tehran in weeks.
In a statement carried by Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said that “in response to the US-Israeli aerial aggression on Larak Island,” its forces carried out an operation using missiles and drones targeting technical infrastructure, maintenance facilities, and fighter jet deployment sites at King Hussein Air Base and Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan. Iran also announced that it had targeted the Al-Minhad Air Base in the UAE, where US forces are stationed, using drones.
Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins told the Agence France-Presse that “forces belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were observed preparing to launch mines-laden missiles toward the Strait of Hormuz.”
The reciprocal strikes came just six months after the start of the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, when hostilities appeared to be subsiding.
The UAE Ministry of Defense stated that its air forces intercepted a drone coming from Iran over the country’s territorial waters, affirming the readiness of the armed forces to deal with various threats. The ministry denied media reports claiming that Al-Minhad Air Base had been hit by missiles, calling such claims baseless, and added that it remains on high alert and prepared to handle any threats, ensuring the preservation of the state’s sovereignty, security, and stability.
In Jordan, the armed forces announced that they intercepted eight missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace, confirming their destruction before they could pose a threat to civilians or property. Jordanian authorities did not report any casualties or damage resulting from the attack.
