Share and Follow
Yesterday, the United States launched strikes targeting military installations on an island critical for Iran’s oil exports, as it handles 90% of the country’s oil shipments.
Iran swiftly condemned the action, alleging that the United States utilized “ports, docks, and hideouts” within the United Arab Emirates to execute these strikes. The UAE has denied these accusations, but Iran has vowed to respond.
This marks a significant escalation, as it is the first instance of Iran threatening assets beyond the United States since the conflict erupted over a fortnight ago.
In a separate incident, Iran also targeted Kuwait’s main airport with a strike.
In response to these developments, former President Trump expressed surprise at Iran’s actions. The overnight retaliatory strikes by Iran affected several nations, including the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq, with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad also coming under attack.
“[It was] the biggest surprise I had of this whole thing.”
Israel has also reported more Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv in the early hours of Sunday morning, local time.
US Central Command said it had no response to Iran’s claim that it launched strikes from the UAE. A diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, Anwar Gargash, said on social media the country has the right to defend itself but “still prioritises reason and logic, and continues exercising restraint.”
Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Arab Gulf neighbours during the war, but it has said it was targeting US assets, even as strikes hit or were intercepted en route to civilian infrastructure such as airports and oil fields.
On Saturday, Iran’s joint military command reiterated its threat to attack US-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” in the region if its own such infrastructure was hit.
Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency said the Kharg Island strikes caused no damage to oil infrastructure.
It said they targeted an air defence facility, a naval base, the airport control tower and an offshore oil company’s helicopter hangar.
US Central Command said it destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers and other military sites.
Israel earlier announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the past 24 hours, including missile launchers, defence systems and weapons production sites.
– with Associated Press
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.