US Launches New Airstrikes on Iran After First Military Deaths in Renewed Hostilities

The United States launched fresh airstrikes on Saturday, aiming to "punish" Iran and retaliate for the first US military deaths since hostilities between the two nations intensified. The strikes targeted infrastructure around the Gulf, following a week of escalating US attacks that Iran claimed had hit an airport, a railway station, and bridges.

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to teach the Americans "unforgettable lessons." This statement came after Iran struck an oil facility in Kuwait and a power and water plant, while Bahrain reported repelling Iranian attacks. In Jordan, two US service members were killed Friday defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, with another service member still missing. These deaths bring the confirmed US military fatalities to 16 since the conflict began on February 28.

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Now that the American enemy seeks to incite war and bear its most serious consequences, it should know that the dear Iranian nation and the axis of resistance have unforgettable lessons to offer it.

US Central Command announced an eighth consecutive night of strikes, stating they were designed to degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and punish Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces. Iranian news agencies reported US attacks on the port of Sirik in southern Iran. Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Khamenei, warned that Iran would resume "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes continued, stating Tehran would no longer limit itself to retaliatory responses.

The current bout of violence was ignited by Iranian attacks on ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for Gulf energy exports that Tehran seeks to control. Iran had previously closed the strait, using control over the route as leverage in negotiations with Washington, which recently reimposed its own blockade of Iran's ports.

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Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses.