WASHINGTON/DUBAI | The United States launched major strikes against Iranian military targets, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missiles and drones against U.S. forces and American allies across the Middle East in the biggest exchange of attacks since July.
U.S. forces struck Iranian military positions along the country’s southern coast, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air defenses, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities, according to the U.S. military.
Iran responded by firing missiles and launching drones toward U.S. military positions and allied countries in the region. Attacks were reported in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq, with regional forces intercepting a number of incoming missiles and drones, according to Reuters and The Associated Press.
The strikes ended a monthlong lull in direct U.S.-Iran hostilities and raised fears of a wider regional conflict. The latest escalation also threatens to further disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil traditionally passes.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to target U.S. military installations and countries that support American operations. Tehran has also sought to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, putting additional pressure on global energy markets.
Iranian authorities accused the United States of killing civilians in a strike on a home in Kuhestak in southern Iran, where officials said a wedding celebration was taking place. They reported at least five deaths, including two children, and dozens of wounded. The U.S. military said it does not target civilians, while Reuters and AP noted that the Iranian casualty account could not be independently verified.
The renewed fighting follows months of confrontation between Washington and Tehran and repeated diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire. Previous attempts to halt the conflict have failed to prevent further military escalation, while Pakistan has continued efforts to facilitate negotiations.
The latest strikes have also unsettled financial markets, with oil prices rising sharply on concerns that prolonged fighting could threaten energy supplies and global shipping.
The escalation puts the United States and Iran back into direct military confrontation, with the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. bases and Iran’s military infrastructure emerging as key flashpoints in a conflict that threatens to draw more countries into the fighting.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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