- Missile and Drone Strikes Reported Against US Positions; Jordan Intercepts 10 Iranian Ballistic Missiles as Fighting Intensifies Around Strait of Hormuz
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: Iran stepped up attacks against US interests across the Middle East on Wednesday, warning Washington and countries cooperating with American forces of “severe” and increasingly destructive consequences in response to US strikes on Iranian targets.
The latest escalation is part of a widening cycle of retaliation that has extended beyond Iran’s borders to US military installations, Washington’s regional allies and commercial shipping, further raising tensions around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian media reported that Tehran launched ballistic missile attacks against two US bases in Jordan. The United States did not immediately comment on the reports, while US President Donald Trump had earlier warned Iran that Washington would respond with “much harder and higher” attacks if Tehran retaliated.
Jordan Intercepts Iranian Missiles
Jordan’s military said its air defences intercepted 10 ballistic missiles launched from Iran. The army did not report any casualties or direct hits, saying three additional missiles landed in remote areas.
Missile and drone activity was also reported in Kuwait, where the military said it was responding to Iranian attacks. In Bahrain, AFP journalists reported hearing air-raid sirens early Wednesday amid warnings of potential airborne attacks.
Iran’s military said it had launched drone strikes against US forces stationed at an air base in Bahrain, a key American ally and host to important US military assets in the Gulf.
In Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that missiles and drones had struck US bases, destroying a maintenance centre, warehouses and military equipment, state-run IRNA reported.
Civilian Casualties Reported in Iran
The latest exchanges followed US strikes on Iranian targets on Sunday—the first known American attacks in several weeks.
Iran subsequently launched attacks against US forces in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, while projectiles also struck two oil tankers in incidents that remain unclaimed.
Further US strikes were reported on Tuesday, with Iranian state television saying explosions occurred in southern Iran near the Strait of Hormuz and on a Gulf island. Iranian media also reported that US forces struck an airport in Kerman province.
The Iranian Red Crescent said shrapnel from a US missile strike struck a house in Kuhestak, where a wedding celebration was taking place. The organisation said four people, including a child, were killed and more than 50 others wounded.
IRNA separately reported that four projectiles struck areas in the Chabahar and Konarak counties, without providing details of damage or casualties.
Trump Says Strikes Were Retaliation
Trump described the latest US military action as “large and powerful” strikes carried out in retaliation for what he called an Iranian attempt to deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and the launch of eight missiles toward a US military base in Jordan.
Later, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was “not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table” and questioned when the Iranian people would rise up against their government.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi warned Washington that it would “regret its new attacks”, declaring that “severe punishment awaits the aggressors.”
Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Military Command, issued a broader warning, saying that any country cooperating with the US military would face “more severe, more widespread and destructive responses.”
US Says Strikes Targeted Military Threats
The US military said Tuesday’s strikes followed attempted attacks by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members deployed across the region.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were intended to counter those threats.
Asked whether the US military had received credible reports of civilian casualties, CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said the United States does not target civilians and accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of doing so.
Strait of Hormuz Remains Major Flashpoint
The escalating confrontation has further disrupted security around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy corridors.
After months of conflict, Iran has maintained restrictions on traffic through the strait while the United States continues efforts to impose a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Washington said its forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday in an effort to prevent Tehran from placing mines in key shipping lanes.
The conflict has also increasingly threatened commercial vessels operating in the Gulf.
Tanker Attacks Raise Maritime Security Concerns
A Greek maritime risk-management company, Marisks, said Tuesday that two crude oil tankers were struck by “unknown projectiles” late the previous day.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency had earlier reported one of the incidents, saying there were no casualties or environmental consequences.
The attacks have intensified concerns over the security of maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of global oil supplies normally passes.
Iran Signals Continued Openness to Diplomacy
Despite the escalating military confrontation, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that Tehran remained prepared to respond to any US initiative aimed at reviving negotiations to end the conflict.
However, he warned that a renewed American policy of pressure and threats could undermine diplomatic efforts.
The contrasting messages from Washington and Tehran—combining intensified military action with continued references to diplomacy—underscore the increasingly fragile and unpredictable nature of the conflict as tensions spread across the wider Middle East.
BY: The Times Union
