Iran has launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against U.S.-linked targets in the Middle East following renewed American military strikes on Iranian positions.
The latest escalation has reportedly affected targets and military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, raising fears that the confrontation between Washington and Tehran could spread further across the region.
The Iranian response came after the United States carried out a new series of strikes against what Washington described as Iranian military targets.
U.S. Central Command said its forces targeted facilities belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including air-defence systems, radar installations, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications infrastructure.
Washington said the operation followed what it described as recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against American forces and commercial shipping around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Wedding celebration hit in southern Iran
The latest escalation has also been accompanied by reports of civilian deaths in southern Iran.
The Iranian Red Crescent initially said five people had died after shrapnel from a U.S. missile struck a home where a wedding celebration was taking place in the Sirik area.
The organisation later revised the death toll to four, with a child reportedly among those killed. More than 50 people were reported injured. Other Iranian officials later gave a higher figure for the number of wounded.
The casualty reports have not been independently verified.
The United States military has said it is aware of the reports but insists that American forces do not target civilians.
Tehran promises retaliation
Iranian officials have strongly condemned the strikes and vowed to respond.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and a former participant in negotiations with Washington, sharply criticised the United States over the operation.
He accused Washington of behaving like “Satan” and said Iran would respond to the attacks.
Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones towards American-linked positions in several countries.
Jordanian authorities said their air-defence systems intercepted Iranian missiles, while Kuwait also reported responding to Iranian aerial attacks. Bahrain and Iraq’s Kurdistan region were also named in reports of Iranian operations.
Strait of Hormuz remains a major flashpoint
The latest fighting is taking place against the backdrop of an escalating confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments.
The United States has accused Iran of threatening commercial shipping in the waterway, while Tehran has repeatedly warned that it will resist American pressure.
The renewed attacks have already increased concern about energy supplies and global markets, with oil prices rising as investors assess the possibility of a prolonged disruption.
The latest exchange of fire represents one of the most serious escalations between the United States and Iran in weeks, with no immediate sign that either side is prepared to back down.
