US resumes Iran ports blockade as Gulf attacks continue: What’s the latest?
Less than a month after signing an MoU as a step towards peace, the US reinstates a naval blockade on Iranian ports. How Iran's southern
Less than a month after signing an MoU as a step towards peace, the US reinstates a naval blockade on Iranian ports. How Iran's southern coast is bearing the brunt of US attacks The United States has reimposed its naval blockade on Iranian ports, less than a month after signing what was supposed to be a step towards peace. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday said it concluded its latest wave of attacks on Iran in response to the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US forces are now blocking traffic coming to and from Iranian ports, and the country’s coastal areas. But Iran says its control over the Strait of Hormuz will not be compromised. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) meanwhile said it launched retaliatory drone and missile attacks on US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan overnight. Here is a recap of what happened in Iran and the US on Tuesday night and Wednesday, and what each side has said.
Where did the US attack Iran? CENTCOM said that at about 02:00 GMT on Wednesday, it launched an additional round of attacks against Iran, hitting “dozens of military targets” near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas. CENTCOM added that the wave of strikes lasted seven hours, during which US fighter aircraft, drones and naval vessels launched precision munitions against Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities and coastal defence systems. Iranian media reported on Wednesday that US missiles hit a naval watchtower in the Iranian city of Chabahar. The watchtower is a civilian facility used for maritime security and fishermen search-and-rescue operations. Iran’s Student News Network (SNN) on Wednesday said the US struck a military base in Bampur in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province. Hossein Kermanpour, the spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Health, said more than 260 people were injured in overnight US attacks in Iran. Tehran also said more than 30 civilians have been killed in the latest round of US attacks.
Where in the Gulf did Iran attack? Kuwait: The Kuwaiti army on Wednesday said it was responding to Iranian missile and drone attacks and has urged the public to adhere to the authorities’ safety and security instructions. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence reports that Iranian attacks hit a Kuwaiti Naval Force vessel, wounding four personnel. Bahrain: Air raids were activated in Bahrain, and the Ministry of Interior urged people to remain calm and find the nearest safe place. Jordan: The Jordanian military said its air defences intercepted and downed four Iranian ballistic missiles that breached the country’s airspace. What has each side said? On Tuesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi declared the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US no longer valid. After the US blockade was reimposed, the IRGC threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East, saying “the export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one.” The US Department of the Treasury said on Tuesday it has frozen more than $130m by sanctioning several cryptocurrency wallets linked to the Central Bank of Iran.
The BriefWire