Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday released a video it claimed showed the launch of retaliatory strikes on a US military air base after an alleged American attack near Bandar Abbas Airport earlier in the day.
According to statements carried by Iranian state-linked agencies Fars and Tasnimthe IRGC alleged that US forces targeted an area on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles in the pre-dawn hours. In response, Iran said it launched strikes at around 4.50 am [local time] against what it described as the American air base “from where the aggression originated”.
The IRGC described the attack as a “serious warning” and warned that any future US action would draw a “more decisive response”. The video released by the force purportedly captures the launch phase of the retaliatory operation.
Iranian media, however, did not identify the American base allegedly targeted in the strike.
The developments came amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz regionwhere Iranian and US forces reportedly exchanged fire earlier on Thursday. Tasnim News Agencyciting an informed military source, claimed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy fired at a US tanker that allegedly attempted to pass through the strategic waterway after switching off its radar system.
The report further claimed that US forces responded by firing at an area around Bandar Abbas, adding that the explosions heard in the region caused neither casualties nor property damage.
In a separate report, Tasnim said Iranian naval forces confronted four vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Gulf without coordinating with Iranian authorities.
Two US officials told The Associated Press that American forces shot down four Iranian drones and struck a ground control station near Bandar Abbas that was allegedly preparing to launch a fifth drone. The officials said the drones posed a threat to shipping movement around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s state-run IRNA News Agency acknowledged that an attack had taken place near Bandar Abbas International Airport and said Tehran responded by targeting the air base linked to the assault. It did not provide further operational details.
Meanwhile, Kuwait announced that it faced a missile and drone attack on Thursday as regional tensions escalated further despite the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States. Kuwait’s military confirmed the attack but did not specify the intended targets. No group immediately claimed responsibility.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy transit routesremains at the centre of the confrontation. Nearly a fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas passes through the narrow waterway.
The latest flare-up also comes amid continuing negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, economic sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran was “negotiating on fumes” and asserted that the upcoming US midterm elections would not pressure his administration into rushing a deal to end the nearly three-month-long conflict.
– Ends
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