Middle East explodes as US strikes Iranian targets | World | News
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces resumed bombing operations against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran on Wednesday.
CENTCOM stated the strikes were carried out as a direct response to attempted IRGC attacks the previous day, which had targeted American forces deployed across the Middle East. CENTCOM did not immediately disclose further details regarding the targets or the anticipated length of the operation.
An official speaking to Fox News revealed the operation remains ongoing and encompasses what they described as a “very broad” range of targets, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate following a series of recent clashes involving US forces and Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq.
The reported strikes follow the US military’s announcement on Tuesday that it had intercepted a barrage of Iranian missiles directed at American positions across the Middle East. “We’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
US Central Command confirmed that all missiles were successfully intercepted during Tuesday’s Iranian offensive and that forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”
US officials also issued a stark warning that any further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure could prompt additional military action from Washington.
CENTCOM confirmed that the US coordinated with Saudi forces on strikes against locations in Iraq on Tuesday that Tehran-backed militias have used in recent days to launch attacks, bringing an end to the lull in hostilities.
The fresh escalation follows a brief spell of relative calm after weeks of bombardment, sanctions, and mounting tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of predominantly Shiite armed groups aligned with Iran operating under Iraq’s security umbrella, reported that at least 20 fighters were killed and dozens more wounded in the American strikes on Iranian-linked Iraqi factions.
Iraqi militia officials also claimed that Iranian advisers were amongst those killed, though casualty figures varied across separate accounts.
The flare-up was not confined to Iraq and Iran. British maritime security firm Ambrey reported that drone strikes ignited fires aboard two natural gas vessels at Egypt’s port of Damietta, involving a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker.
No casualties were reported, and responsibility remained unclear.
Jordan’s military announced it had intercepted several missiles, reporting no immediate casualties or significant damage.
