US launches eighth consecutive night of attacks on Iran; Iran retaliates with strikes on Kuwait bases
The US military has carried out airstrikes on Iran for the eighth night in a row, aiming to further degrade Iran's ability to block the Strait of Hormuz. In response, the Iranian army targeted US military assets at two bases in Kuwait.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday that the new strikes on Iran were retaliation for an attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that killed two American service members, with one missing and four requiring hospitalisation. The strikes marked the eighth consecutive night of US air raids on Iran.
According to Iran's semi-official Mehr and Tasnim news agencies, the areas targeted included the vicinity of Sirik in Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island. The strikes on Sirik occurred at 1:30 am local time (22:00 GMT Saturday), while Qeshm Island was hit at 3:38 am (00:08 GMT Sunday) and again at 6:10 am (02:40 GMT Sunday). Tasnim also reported that the US military targeted a location near Shadegan in Khuzestan province at 5:55 am (02:25 GMT Sunday).
The reports stated there were no casualties and that residential and commercial infrastructure was not damaged. CENTCOM said the strikes were designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and were also in retaliation for Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on a US base in Jordan that killed two US service members on Friday. Since the war began in February, 16 US service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded.
Tasnim also reported explosions in Qom, Arak, and Behbahan, but local authorities denied these. The governor of Arak stated that the situation was completely normal and there were no reports of attacks or explosions.
In response to the US strikes, the Iranian army targeted US military assets at two bases in Kuwait: an ammunition depot at Al-Adiri camp and the Patriot radar and air radar at Ali Al Salem base.
Before the latest US strikes, Iran's supreme leader warned of "unforgettable lessons" if the US continued its attacks.
Initially, the conflict focused on control of the Strait of Hormuz, but US strikes have widened to include civilian infrastructure such as bridges and desalination plants. State-run news agency IRNA reported that the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, cutting off water supplies to about 10,000 people, and a desalination plant on Qeshm Island was damaged.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the US is violating the terms of the interim deal and no longer implementing them.
Iranian authorities said at least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in US strikes over the past three weeks. On Saturday, the Iranian embassy in India named two girls, Sogand Dardmand and Fatemeh Zahra Akbari, among seven killed in a US strike on Bandar Khamir on Thursday.
Al Jazeera's Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said the last eight nights of strikes have caused anger and frustration among the populace, who are uncertain whether the confrontation will continue and whether a diplomatic solution is possible.
