The United States military launched fresh aerial assaults against Iran on Sunday, marking the eighth night in a row of American strikes.
According to the pentagon, the operation was executed to swiftly punish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after an attack killed two American service members, left one missing, and sent four others to the hospital.
Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Mehr reported that the early Sunday morning operations targeted Qeshm Island and an area near Sirik in the Hormozgan province.
The strikes occurred at 1:30 am local time in Sirik, followed by twin hits on Qeshm Island at 3:38 am and 6:10 am. Additionally, Tasnim noted a 5:55 am strike near Shadegan in the Khuzestan province.
Local Iranian reports indicated that no casualties occurred and no residential or commercial structures were harmed in these specific instances.
US Central Command stated on X that the mission was designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM further clarified that the actions were in retaliation for Iranian drone and ballistic missile strikes on a US base in Jordan on Friday, which resulted in the deaths of the two American service members.
The military command later specified that the targets included Iranian military coastal surveillance, air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and storage units for drones and missiles.
Since the outbreak of hostilities in February, the conflict has claimed the lives of 16 US service members and left over 430 wounded.
While Tasnim initially reported explosions in Qom, Arak, and Behbahan, local officials quickly dismissed the claims.
The governor of Arak reassured the public, stating that the situation is completely normal and so far we have not had any reports of attack or explosion.
In response, the Iranian army launched counterattacks against US military installations at two bases in Kuwait.
A statement from Iran’s military declared that, in response to the repeated aggressions of the enemy, forces successfully targeted a US ammunition depot at Al-Adiri camp and the Patriot radar and air radar at the Ali Al Salem base.
Prior to this latest escalation, Iran’s supreme leader had cautioned the US of unforgettable lessons if the aerial campaigns persisted.
Though the conflict initially centered on securing the Strait of Hormuz, US operations have expanded to encompass civilian infrastructure, such as bridges and water treatment facilities.
The state-run IRNA news agency reported that the Bonji desalination plant was obliterated, disrupting the water supply for roughly 10,000 citizens, while another desalination facility on Qeshm Island sustained damage.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated on national television that the United States is violating terms of the interim deal and no longer implementing them. Iranian authorities assert that at least 50 people have been killed and over 500 wounded by US strikes over the last three weeks.
Late Saturday, the Iranian embassy in India identified two young girls, Sogand Dardmand and Fatemeh Zahra Akbari, among seven individuals killed during a Thursday strike on Bandar Khamir.
Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi noted that the relentless eight-day bombardment has triggered widespread anger and frustration among citizens.
He remarked that people don’t really know whether they are going to see the continuation of this confrontation, or how long it’s going to take, and also if there is a possibility for a diplomatic settlement to resolve all these complexities and find a long-lasting solution.
