Iran Retaliates After First US Strikes in a Month

Iran has answered the first US strikes on its territory in a month with a missile attack on US military targets in Jordan, reopening a dangerous front in a war that has reached its six-month mark.

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heavy damage

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it hit two US air bases with ballistic missiles and caused “heavy damage.” Jordan’s army said it intercepted eight missiles but did not identify their origin. The Guards described their action as a response to “US-Zionist aerial aggression.”

The attack followed the US announcement that it had struck Iranian rocket launchers on a small island in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said American forces had taken “limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz.” Washington said the operation aimed to stop Iran from placing more sea mines in the strategic waterway.

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US-Zionist aerial aggression

The United States said its forces had completed clearing mines from international shipping routes last week. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, said, “US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway.”

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limited, precise action against IRGC minelaying forces posing an imminent threat in the Strait of Hormuz

The exchange came as hostilities had begun to subside and Washington focused on what it calls “economic warfare” against Tehran. A US naval counterblockade is squeezing fuel supplies in Iran during a shortfall in domestic production. Diplomatic efforts involving mediators including Pakistan and Qatar have produced an April ceasefire and a June memorandum of understanding, but no final peace agreement. Sporadic attacks around Hormuz continue to cloud those prospects.

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US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway.