WASHINGTON: The United States carried out an eighth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran, targeting military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities after two US service members were killed and another went missing following an Iranian attack in Jordan, US Central Command (Centcom) said on Saturday.
Centcom said the strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, targeted Iranian coastal surveillance systems, air defence sites and other military assets used to support attacks on US personnel and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish IRGC forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan,” Centcom said.
Iranian media reported US strikes near Sirik in Hormozgan province and near Shadegan in southwestern Iran. Officials said no casualties or major infrastructure damage were reported.
Iran targets US bases as regional tensions escalate
Iran responded with drone attacks targeting US military facilities at Kuwait’s Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem Air Base, according to Iranian state television. The attacks followed earlier Iranian operations against US positions and allies across the Gulf.
Centcom said the latest fatalities raised the number of US military personnel killed since the conflict began to 16, with more than 420 wounded. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the deaths would strengthen Washington’s resolve.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei accused the United States of violating commitments under the collapsed ceasefire and warned Washington of “heavier costs” if military operations continued.
Kuwait’s armed forces said they intercepted Iranian missiles and drones during attacks that injured emergency responders and oil sector workers. Iranian media also reported strikes on US-linked sites in Bahrain and Jordan, although Reuters could not independently verify those claims.
Saudi Arabia activated missile warning alerts in parts of the country after reports of a possible Iranian missile threat, while the US State Department issued a worldwide travel advisory for American citizens, citing the risk of further escalation across the Middle East.
The renewed fighting comes after the collapse of an interim US-Iran ceasefire last week, with both sides continuing military operations and competing for control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies.
