US targets strike multiple locations in southwest Iran
The United States has carried out 12 consecutive nights of bombing in Iran, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to 11 others in Khuzestan province. Central Command (CENTCOM) focused its attacks on military installations, specifically targeting coastal surveillance sites and facilities storing missiles and drones. According to a local official, US missiles hit a passenger terminal in Shalamcheh, a city located near the border with Iraq.
Al Jazeera's Tohid Assidi reported from Tehran that the strikes affected several cities. In Ramshir, an asphalt facility was attacked during the attacks. In Hormozgan province, residents in Sirik and Jask heard explosions. Meanwhile, in Bushehr, a power outage occurred after an overnight strike targeted a substation near the city's nuclear power plant. The local governor confirmed the incident and its impact on the region's electricity.
IRGC hits back in Kuwait and Jordan
In response to the US bombing, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched attacks in Kuwait, claiming to have destroyed a warehouse storing military equipment and a Patriot missile defense system at the Ali Al Salem airbase. The IRGC argued that it was the United States, rather than Iran, that violated Kuwaiti sovereignty by targeting areas within the country. It emphasized that the attacks were directed at US bases that it described as beyond the control of Kuwait's own military forces.
The IRGC also claimed to have attacked US assets in Jordan. According to their statement, it destroyed a THAAD missile defense system radar and a Patriot system, setting fire to fuel tanks and a helicopter maintenance shed at an American military base. Addressing the Jordanian people, the IRGC insisted that its actions did not infringe on Jordanian sovereignty, pointing out that the US military presence in the region undermines local authority. The group argued that targeting US forces was a necessary and justified response.
Tanker fire in Hormuz amid Houthi attacks in Red Sea
The IRGC announced an explosion that set a tanker on fire in the Hormuz Strait, forcing two other vessels to turn back. It stated that the ships were following the orders of the United States and intended to travel through a mine-laid route in the southern section of the strait. The IRGC emphasized its control over the Hormuz Strait and warned that as long as the United States continues its actions in the region, the strait will remain closed to all oil tankers.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that a ship was targeted 70 nautical miles off the Saudi coast, leading to a fire on board. Fortunately, there were no reports of casualties among the crew. Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The targeted vessels were named Encelia and Layla. The IRGC reiterated its stance that the Hormuz Strait remains closed to any vessels attempting to enter or exit without coordination with Iran.