The conflict in West Asia drastically escalated on Thursday as the United States military on direction of President Donald Trump launched a “heavy wave of strikes” directly against Iran. The strikes are in direct retaliation for attempted Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan the previous day.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, stating that U.S. forces struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday. The targets included military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal defense sites.
Trump earlier warned Iran After Missile Attack On Jordan Base
U.S. President Donald Trump had vowed earlier on Wednesday to retaliate forcefully, stating, “We’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them”. POTUS had also said that he had been briefed on a drone attack targeting a US LNG Tanker in Egypt and blamed Iran for the attack
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed the attacks, stating that three of its members from the Ansar al-Mahdi IRGC were killed in the U.S. strikes on the northwestern province of Zanjan. Iranian media also reported explosions in southern regions, including Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz and locations in Bushehr province.
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These direct strikes shatter a brief lull in hostilities and raise grave concerns about an all-out regional war. The escalation follows unprecedented joint U.S.-Saudi airstrikes on Wednesday against the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, which killed at least 20 fighters.