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Amid a rapidly evolving security situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that it targeted and destroyed hangars of the F-35 fighter jets along with targeting about 21 American air and naval bases, ISNA reported on Wednesday.
Citing the IRGC, the Iranian broadcaster said four key locations were targeted, including the U.S. Army's command and control centre at the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, which it claimed to have destroyed and a total of 21 air and naval bases being struck in the region. According to ISNA, the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan was also hit by Iranian missiles. As developments follow, state broadcaster Press TV reported of new explosions in Kuwait and Bahrain and citing local sources mentioned that the American bases in the two countries were again targeted. Local sources say US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait have once again been targeted. The IRGC also claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting a US naval facility in Bahrain. The development marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington following recent military exchanges in the Persian Gulf. In an official statement carried by Iranian media, the IRGC announced that its naval forces launched a drone attack on the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time. According to the Guards, the strike came in response to what they described as US attacks on several locations in southern Iran earlier in the day. The latest developments follow rapidly escalating hostilities between Iran and the US triggered by the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had initiated what it described as "self-defence strikes" against Iran. In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM stated, "US Central Command forces began launching self-defence strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief's direction, in response to yesterday's downing of a US Army Apache helicopter," characterising the operation as a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression." US President Donald Trump had earlier confirmed that an Iranian strike had brought down an Apache helicopter conducting patrol operations over the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump noted that both pilots survived the incident without injuries. Writing on Truth Social, President Trump stated, "I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz." President Trump added, "There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack." Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Washington against maintaining its military footprint in the Gulf region, asserting that Iran would retaliate against any perceived threats. In a post on X, Foreign Minister Araghchi stated, "Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination." The Iranian Foreign Minister further warned, "Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on the dire fates of intruding outsiders." The direct confrontation unfolds against the backdrop of an intensifying regional conflict involving Iran and Israel, which has recently included strikes on Iranian infrastructure and reported attacks on Israeli military facilities. (ANI)
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