TEHRAN, Iran: US-Iran strikes widened on Thursday as Tehran said it attacked US bases and strategic sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar after US attacks hit Iranian cities for a second night.
Iranian reports said the strikes killed 14 people and wounded 78 over two days. Blasts hit cities along the Strait of Hormuz, including Bushehr, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas and Sirik.
Mehr News Agency said two explosions were heard near Bushehr, where Iran operates a nuclear plant. Blasts were also heard in nearby Choghadak.
Bushehr’s governor told IRNA that officials were checking the cause. He said investigators were examining air defence fire, enemy projectiles and possible drone activity.
US President Donald Trump said the strikes were “retribution” for alleged Iranian attacks on ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command said US forces struck more than 170 Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz over two days, according to the New York Times.
The targets included air defence systems, drone storage sites, missile storage sites, military speed boats and logistics sites.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it fired 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Azraq military base. Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles and reported no casualties or damage.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates condemned Iranian attacks on Gulf states. Qatar called the strikes a violation of sovereignty. The UAE expressed solidarity with Kuwait and Bahrain.
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was near a standstill on Thursday. The waterway normally carries about one-fifth of global oil consumption.
Read: Bahrain, Kuwait Issue Alerts After US Hits 90 Targets in Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned against further US military “adventurism” in a call with Pakistan’s army chief, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said.
The latest US-Iran strikes also raised concern across Gulf capitals. Officials in the region urged de-escalation amid military activity spreading across the Strait of Hormuz.
