US strikes Iran as Tehran targets American bases across the Middle East

Tehran, Iran. The United States and Iran exchanged major attacks on Wednesday, with U.S. forces striking targets on Iran’s southern coast and Tehran reporting missile and drone attacks on American bases across the Middle East.

Iran accused Washington of striking a wedding party, killing five people and wounding dozens, while the United States threatened further strikes.

U.S. strikes and market impact

U.S. Central Command said it struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps air defences, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites on Tuesday.

Iranian media reported strikes on multiple targets near the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway where Tehran has threatened tankers attempting to pass without its permission.

Asian and European stocks fell after the renewed U.S. airstrikes, while oil prices rose to levels not seen since July. The increase added to the economic impact of a global bond sell-off, as disrupted energy supplies fuel inflation worldwide.

Iranian response

Iran said it struck U.S. assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq and that its objective was to drive U.S. forces from their network of military bases across the Middle East.

“American evil in the region will be met with heavier, more widespread, and devastating responses, and any country that cooperates with the aggressive American army must accept its dangerous consequences,” Iran’s military command said.

Reports from Jordan and Kuwait

Jordan’s military said it dealt with 13 missiles, intercepting 10, while three fell in remote areas.

The IRGC said it killed a large number of U.S. forces in Jordan. U.S. officials told Reuters that initial assessments indicated there had been no casualties.

Iran said it carried out a missile and drone attack on the U.S. Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait and targeted the accommodation of a U.S. commander. Kuwait’s fire service said a drone struck a residential complex early on Wednesday, causing damage but no casualties after crews extinguished a fire.

Regional reactions

Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. airbase in the Gulf, said it held Iran fully legally responsible for the attacks and their repercussions and consequences.

Bahrain, home to the regional headquarters of the U.S. Navy, said Iranian drones were intercepted and destroyed.

The IRGC said its ground forces launched combined missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Erbil, northern Iraq, and claimed to have killed several U.S. personnel. Neither Iraq nor the United States confirmed the reported attack.