Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Wednesday said that it targeted four sites at the US al-Azraq base in Jordan using long-range missiles. The
attack came in retaliation to the US strikes against Tehran following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. The targeted strikes included F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control center. The Iranian military further warned that it’s ready to deliver a “crushing and decisive” response to any further US attack. Citing the IRGC, the Iranian broadcaster ISNA said four key locations were targeted, including Al-Azraq base in Jordan, which it claimed to have destroyed and a total of 21 air and naval bases being struck in the region. According to reports, the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan was also hit during the retaliatory Iranian missiles attack. In addition to this, new explosions in Kuwait and Bahrain were also reported targeting American bases in the two countries, state broadcaster Press TV informed. The development took place following sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington following recent military exchanges in the Persian Gulf, overshadowing the ceasefire talks.
US-Iran Ceasefire Teeters
In an official statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC announced that its naval forces launched a drone attack on the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain at approximately 2:30 am local time. According to the Guards, the strike came in response to what they described as US attacks on several locations in southern Iran earlier in the day.The escalating hostilities between Iran and the US were triggered by the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz by Tehran. Following this, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday announced that American forces had initiated what it described as "self-defence strikes" against Iran.
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stark warning to Washington, asserting that Iran would retaliate against any perceived threats.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Araghchi stated, "Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination. Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on the dire fates of intruding outsiders."
