New attacks and reprisals
Early Thursday morning, the United States launched new airstrikes against Iran. In response, Tehran attacked Persian Gulf countries allied with Washington. The escalation puts at risk a provisional agreement that sought to end the war in the region.
Warning sirens sounded at least three times in Bahrain, headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet. Missiles also hit Kuwait and Qatar. Later, Jordan, where the US has troops and aircraft, also raised its alarms.
Iranian reaction and victims
An Iranian official accused Washington of attacking the area around the country’s only nuclear power plant. During the afternoon, more explosions were reported in other areas.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Health, the two days of bombing have left at least 14 dead and 78 injured. The majority belonged to the armed forces.
In Kuwait, one person was injured by debris when air defenses shot down three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 10 drones. Bahrain reported that it intercepted incoming fire, without further details. Jordan, through its spokesman Mohammad al-Momani, confirmed that all Iranian fire was intercepted.
Iranian state television reported that the Revolutionary Guard fired missiles at a US base in Jordan. So far there are no reports of damage in Qatar.
The actions come hours after President Donald Trump warned that Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz meant the end of the fragile ceasefire. He threatened to escalate the conflict if the attacks did not stop. The international community fears that the region will once again fall into a multiple war, which could block energy shipments through the strait, vital for the global economy.
