The United States military says it has carried out strikes on dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East.
The two-hour operation began at 0000 GMT and ended at 0200 GMT on Thursday, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). The targets included military command centres and drone facilities.
“The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighbouring Gulf countries,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Iran’s state media reported that three people were killed in the US strikes on Qeshm Island.
Jordan’s armed forces also said they intercepted five Iranian missiles aimed at the kingdom on Thursday.
The US operation followed Iran’s confirmation on Wednesday that it had fired ballistic missiles at American troops in Jordan. CENTCOM said all of the missiles were intercepted, adding that US bases in Jordan have increasingly become targets of Iranian attacks.
Earlier on Wednesday, US and Saudi forces also carried out strikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq in retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities launched from Iraq. The joint operation marked the first time Riyadh had publicly joined military strikes alongside Washington.
In Egypt, a drone struck a US-owned gas storage tanker at the Mediterranean port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry confirmed a fire at the port but did not mention a drone attack or identify those responsible.
The latest military operations in Iraq and Egypt have raised concerns that more countries could be drawn into the conflict after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia last week.
The conflict began in February after the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran. A temporary ceasefire reached in June later collapsed following renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump said Washington would respond strongly to Iran’s missile attack on American forces but maintained that the United States was still seeking a peace agreement to end the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas previously passed, has become the main sticking point in peace negotiations.
Iran said on Wednesday that it struck three tankers attempting to pass through the waterway on what it described as an unauthorised route and insisted it controls the strait. An Omani proposal, backed by Gulf states, to manage the waterway through voluntary transit fees was rejected by Tehran, according to Reuters.
Oil prices rose sharply on Wednesday, with Brent crude climbing more than eight per cent to above $90 per barrel before easing slightly on Thursday.
In Iraq, the Popular Mobilisation Forces said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded in the US-Saudi strikes on several bases.
The Iraqi presidency described the attacks as “an unacceptable attack and a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty”, while also calling for an end to attacks by armed groups against Iraq’s neighbours.
Iran denied directing attacks from Iraqi territory, although Iranian newspaper Hamshahri reported that four Revolutionary Guards advisers were killed in the strikes.
Following the attacks, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Wednesday and urged the Trump administration not to widen the conflict by launching further strikes against Yemen’s Houthis or Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, according to two Reuters sources.
One of the sources said further military action would open the door to “major unknown risks.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
