WASHINGTON/CAIRO, Sep 02 (Alliance News): The United States and Iran exchanged attacks on Wednesday in the most significant escalation in weeks, ending a period of relative calm as both sides renewed threats of further military action.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had carried out a wave of strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran.
The strikes targeted air defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications facilities, according to the US military.
Iranian media reported attacks on several locations across the country, including areas near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where Tehran has threatened vessels attempting to pass without authorisation.
Iran said it retaliated by targeting US assets in Jordan and Iraq, while Iranian media also reported attacks in Bahrain.
The IRGC claimed that several US personnel were killed in attacks on American bases in Jordan and northern Iraq. However, US officials told Reuters that initial assessments showed no American casualties in Jordan. The reported attack in Iraq had not been independently confirmed by the US or Iraqi authorities.
Jordan’s armed forces said its air defences intercepted 10 of 13 ballistic missiles that entered its airspace, while three landed in remote areas. Bahrain also said Iranian drones had been intercepted and destroyed.
The renewed exchange marked the first major combat between the two sides since July, ending weeks in which both Washington and Tehran had largely refrained from direct attacks.
The pause had come as the conflict placed growing pressure on both sides. Iran’s economy has suffered further damage, while its conventional military capabilities have been weakened by the fighting.
The United States has also faced pressure over rising fuel prices and the consumption of its stockpile of precision long-range missiles, raising concerns about military readiness for future conflicts.
US President Donald Trump said Washington’s position had improved and claimed that the US had gained almost total control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s joint military command warned that continued US military action would trigger heavier and more widespread retaliation, adding that countries cooperating with American forces would face consequences.
Five killed at wedding
Iranian authorities said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded in a US strike near a wedding in Sirik, a coastal area close to the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported five deaths and 50 injuries, while Iranian state media cited a provincial official as saying that 68 people were wounded. Iranian media also reported that a four-year-old child was among those killed.
US officials have not yet publicly commented on the reported incident.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the reported attack and said it could not be separated from other civilian casualties during the conflict.
The ministry also referred to a previous strike on a girls’ school in Minab, which Iranian authorities said killed 160 people.
The Pentagon has not issued a final finding regarding the Minab strike. Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter, that outdated targeting data may have contributed to the incident.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry vowed that Tehran would respond to what it described as “savage crimes” and warned governments and international organisations against remaining silent over civilian casualties.
