The US and Iran exchanged a series of strikes on Saturday morning, in the latest flare-up to threaten the ceasefire in the Middle East war,
The Guardian reports.
The US military said it shot down four Iranian drones that were launched toward the strait of Hormuz and struck coastal surveillance radar sites in response. Iran followed hours later, saying it targeted US bases in the region, with Kuwait and Bahrain both issuing air raid alerts.
It was the latest in a series of back-and-forth attacks that have strained the tenuous ceasefire in the war and harmed efforts to reach a deal to extend the truce.
US central command (Centcom) said early on Saturday that Iranian attack drones “posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” while the strikes on radar installations were to “defend against further attacks”. The US military is enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran’s chokehold on the strait – a crucial corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments – which has sent energy prices spiking.
Hours later Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted “enemy bases” in the Gulf, after the US strikes on Sirik and Qeshm Island.
Kuwait’s military said early Saturday it was responding to “hostile” missile and drone attacks, days after a strike on the country’s international airport killed one and wounded dozens.
“Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain”, Centcom said, adding that six were intercepted and a seventh did not reach its target.
“There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging US 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false,” Centcom said.
Earlier on Friday, US president Donald Trump told reporters “the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well”.
“We’re going to come out of Iran very quickly and it’s going to be very strong one way or the other, whether it’s a piece of paper or the very tough way,” Trump said at an event with farmers in Wisconsin.
