The US military has completed a 'heavy wave' of retaliatory strikes against Iran, following a missile attack by Tehran on American bases in Jordan. The strikes targeted dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard targets, including military command centers, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). Iran's state news agency IRNA reported hits on several cities in the southwestern Khuzestan province and Qeshm island in the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump had vowed to hit Iran 'hard' after the missile attack, which was Iran's first regional strike in days. The reignited hostilities have drawn in Iran's proxies and dashed hopes of a quick return to negotiations between the foes.
In a sign of the war's spread, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq, while US ally Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of a truce violation. Saudi Arabia has reported two days of drone attacks targeting its crude facilities, which it blames on Iraqi armed groups allied with Tehran.
Jordan's army said it had intercepted five Iranian missiles, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for targeting US bases in the country. The IRGC stated that 'as long as the threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran continue... the resistance will continue.'
The strikes follow growing US pressure on Iraq to disarm pro-Iran groups. Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi visited both the US and Iran. The United States had said the days-long cessation in fighting was aimed at kickstarting a new round of negotiations, including over the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded throughout much of the war.
