The US responds to Iran's bombings with a "strong wave of attacks"

JerusalemAfter a brief pause in which it seemed that calm could begin to settle in the Middle East, hostilities have returned with force. The region continues to be immersed in an escalation that threatens to further broaden the conflict and drag new actors into a crisis already marked by high military tension.

The United States has launched in the last few hours a "strong wave of attacks" against Iran. The bombings, in response to the latest launches of ballistic missiles against American bases deployed in Jordan, have hit Revolutionary Guard targets, according to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). At least three people have died, including a two-year-old minor, and two more have been injured on the island of Qeshm, located in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the U.S. armed forces, Iranian military command centers, missile and drone facilities, surveillance and coastal defense points, and naval capabilities have been attacked. The objective, as detailed in a statement released on X, has been to "further reduce" the threats posed by Iran and its allies to U.S. forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf countries.

Tehran has promised an immediate response: "With the help of Almighty God, the aggressor will be punished today," a spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard assured, in statements collected by the Iranian news agency Fars. After this, the Revolutionary Guard announced an attack on the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan, in response to the American bombing of Qeshm. According to the version disseminated by Fars, the operation would have destroyed three F-35 aircraft, damaged three more, and caused casualties among American technical and maintenance personnel. But a few hours later, the United States denied these claims and assured that no American aircraft were destroyed or damaged in the latest Iranian attacks. According to CENTCOM, all missiles and drones were intercepted or did not reach their intended targets.

End of a very fragile truce

Tension continues to spread to other Gulf countries. Kuwait has reported the death of a worker after an attack attributed to Iran hit a building of a Chinese company in the north of the country, causing significant material damage. "The atrocious Iranian aggression targeted a building belonging to a Chinese company in the north of the country, causing the death of a worker and significant material damage to the property," said the spokesman for the aforementioned ministry, Saud al-Atwan, in a statement.

The attack has been strongly condemned by Jordan, Qatar, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), who have called it a serious violation of Kuwait's sovereignty and international law. Amman and Doha have warned that this new escalation puts any diplomatic effort to contain the conflict at risk, have reiterated their solidarity with Kuwait, and have called for an immediate end to military hostilities.

In recent hours, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has also claimed responsibility for an attack on the Ali al-Salem military base in Kuwait, where US forces are deployed. According to a statement released by the Tasnim agency, the operation allegedly caused fires and the destruction of two hangars for drones and a fuel depot for military aircraft and helicopters.

Despite the intensification of cross-attacks, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that talks with Oman continue in Tehran. Iranian spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei affirmed that diplomatic meetings are ongoing and has blamed the United States for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Baghaei, the closure of the strait is a consequence of US military actions and the insecurity generated in the area. "International navigation is being harmed solely by the actions of the United States," he stated in declarations to the Iranian agency ILNA.

After thirteen days of crossfire, the United States suspended bombings last Friday to "give space to diplomacy." Tehran cautiously maintained the ceasefire, but on Tuesday resumed ballistic missile attacks against US positions in the region. President Donald Trump warned that the response would be forceful and, this Thursday, after the new US offensive, Jordan has reported the interception of five more missiles launched against its territory, which it attributes to Iran, although Tehran has not claimed responsibility.

All of this is happening while Saudi Arabia has taken a step forward in the war in recent hours and has directly involved itself alongside the United States in the bombings against the pro-Iranian militia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq.

The latest cross-border attacks also occur after Egyptian authorities confirmed this Thursday that the fire that affected two ships in the port of Damietta, on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, was caused by a drone. But it has not yet determined its origin. As the Egyptian Council of Ministers assured in a brief statement published on its official account, "no one has claimed responsibility for the incident and the competent authorities continue their investigations to determine the circumstances and adopt the necessary measures to safeguard Egypt's national interests and security".