US and Iran exchange strikes after weeks-long lull
US strikes on Iranian targets and Iranian attacks on US assets renewed major hostilities, with both sides issuing conflicting casualty claims.
Tehran, Iran. The United States and Iran returned to a war footing on Wednesday following their most significant exchange of strikes in weeks, as Washington threatened further attacks and Tehran said a strike had killed five civilians and wounded dozens at a wedding.
US Central Command said it had completed a wave of strikes on Tuesday against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets, while Iran said it had struck US assets in Jordan and Iraq.
US strikes and Iranian response
US Central Command said its strikes targeted air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites.
Iranian media reported attacks on multiple locations across the country on Tuesday, many near the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has threatened oil tankers transiting the waterway without authorisation.
Iran said it also struck US assets in Jordan and Iraq, according to official statements. Iranian media reported an attack on Bahrain.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had killed a large number of US forces in Jordan. However, two US officials told Reuters that initial assessments found no casualties.
Regional interceptions
Jordan’s armed forces said its air defence systems responded to 13 ballistic missiles that entered the kingdom’s airspace. It said 10 missiles were intercepted and three landed in remote areas.
Bahrain said Iranian drones were intercepted and destroyed.
The IRGC also said its ground forces conducted combined missile and drone attacks on US bases in Erbil, northern Iraq, killing several US personnel. Neither Iraq nor the United States had confirmed the reported attack.
End of lull
The exchange marked the first serious combat since July, ending a period during which the sides withheld fire while showing little interest in returning to negotiations.
The conflict has appeared to strain both sides. Iran’s economy has been affected by the war and its conventional military forces have been degraded. Reuters reported last month that the US Army had used much of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles, raising concerns over readiness for future conflicts.
US President Donald Trump, facing higher fuel prices ahead of November congressional elections, said the United States had “almost total control of the Hormuz Strait” and that Iran’s economy was “totally collapsing.”
This news item was generated automatically by Cyprus Inform from publicly available materials. Report an error →