Iran retaliates with missile attacks following US strikes, Strait of Hormuz closed

TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until further notice, according to Iranian media reports.

As per the Iranian state media, the Revolutionary Guards said that a ship attempted to pass through an unauthorized route and was shot at with warning shots.

The statement said that no ship will be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.

The Revolutionary Guards warned that if the enemy uses the incident as an excuse to make any mistake, it will be given a severe response.

IRGC has also claimed that it has targeted US military installations at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.

According to the spokesman, several ballistic missiles were used in the attack, while the Aerospace Forces claimed to have destroyed the base’s command and control center and hangars for MQ-9 drones.

On the other hand, tensions in the Middle East have increased once again after the US attack on Iran.

There have been reports of sirens sounding in Bahrain, which has also been confirmed by the Bahraini Interior Ministry.

Meanwhile, according to the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense, the air defense system is busy intercepting missiles and drones coming from Iran, while the Qatari Ministry of Defense says that the missile attack targeting the country has been foiled.

US Attacks

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that a new series of attacks against Iran has been launched. According to US officials, this action was taken after an alleged Iranian attack on a commercial vessel.

CENTCOM said that the Revolutionary Guards targeted a Cyprus-flagged container ship, which resulted in damage to the ship, a fire broke out, and a crew member was missing.

According to the US command, the ship was unable to continue its journey due to severe damage to the engine room.

The US military command has accused Iran of being given opportunities to change its behavior and comply with the agreed memorandum of understanding after attacks on commercial vessels in the past, but Tehran failed to do so.

According to a message from CENTCOM released on social media, the latest operations are being carried out on the instructions of the US President.

On the other hand, US media have claimed that the US military has started targeting Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz area.

However, further details about the nature, locations, and possible damage of the attacks have not been revealed.

Meanwhile, reports of explosions have also emerged from different parts of Iran. According to Iranian state TV, explosions were heard near the southern city of Chabahar, while the Mehr news agency also reported explosions in the Persian Gulf islands of Qeshm, Bushehr and Asaluyeh.

So far, Iranian authorities have not issued any final statement regarding the full details of these incidents or the damage.