Iran war day 103: US strikes after helicopter shot down, Tehran hits back

EXPLAINER

Analysts pass of further escalation aft tit-for-tat attacks betwixt Tehran and Washington.

Tensions betwixt the United States and Iran escalated sharply aft Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched drone and rocket attacks against US-linked subject targets successful Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan successful effect to American strikes connected confederate Iran.

Earlier, the US subject said it carried retired “self-defence strikes” against Iranian targets pursuing the reported downing of a US attack helicopter implicit the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would “leave nary onslaught oregon menace unanswered”, raising fears of further escalation betwixt the 2 countries.

Here is what has happened:

In Iran

• US launches strikes connected Iran aft chopper incident: The US carried retired subject strikes against Iranian targets aft President Donald Trump said Iran had changeable down a US Apache helicopter successful the Strait of Hormuz, marking a important escalation and raising caller questions astir the aboriginal of US-Iran talks and the fragile ceasefire.
• Explosions reported crossed cardinal locations adjacent the Strait of Hormuz: Iranian authorities media reported attacks connected Qeshm Island and a projectile onslaught successful the larboard metropolis of Sirik. Residents besides reported explosions adjacent Bandar Abbas and Jask, areas that beryllium adjacent to 1 of the world’s astir important lipid shipping routes.
• Iran apt to retaliate to sphere deterrence: Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said Iranian officials and subject sources person repeatedly made wide that immoderate onslaught connected Iranian territory volition beryllium answered. According to Vall, Tehran believes failing to respond would task weakness and promote further subject pressure. Maintaining a credible deterrent against some the US and Israel remains a halfway portion of Iran’s strategy.

The Gulf and Jordan

• IRGC claims drone onslaught connected US Fifth Fleet: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it launched a drone onslaught against the US Fifth Fleet successful Bahrain successful effect to US strikes, informing that heavier retaliation volition travel if US subject enactment continues.
• Air defences activated successful Kuwait: The Kuwaiti service says its aerial defence systems are intercepting “hostile aerial targets” and has urged residents to travel authoritative information guidance and trust connected authorised sources for information.
• IRGC claims onslaught connected US-linked airbase successful Jordan: The IRGC said its Aerospace Force launched long-range missiles astatine an airbase successful Jordan that hosts US subject personnel. The IRGC said the onslaught destroyed 4 cardinal targets, including F-35 combatant pitchy hangars and a command-and-control centre, though the claims person not been independently verified.

War diplomacy

• Former US wide sees signs of de-escalation: Retired US General Mark Kimmitt told Al Jazeera that the constricted scope of the caller US and Iranian strikes whitethorn bespeak an effort by some sides to incorporate the situation alternatively than grow it. He said the US effect was intended to show that the downing of a US chopper would not spell unanswered, portion describing Iran’s retaliation arsenic comparatively restrained. Kimmitt said helium would beryllium amazed if the concern escalates further and suggested the exchanges could pave the mode for a instrumentality to diplomacy, noting that Iran typically signals publically erstwhile it considers a subject cognition complete.

The US

• Risk of tit-for-tat escalation remains high: Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, said the US strikes look designed arsenic a constricted effect to the downing of the Apache helicopter, targeting radar and rocket defence sites alternatively than broader strategical assets. He noted that portion Trump insists the cognition should not derail bid talks, the cardinal question is however Tehran responds. According to Fisher, the coming hours could find whether the ceasefire holds and diplomacy resumes, oregon whether the US and Iran participate a rhythm of nonstop retaliatory subject operations.

Lebanon

• Deadly attacks successful confederate Lebanon continue: At slightest 17 radical were killed and dozens wounded successful attacks crossed confederate Lebanon connected Tuesday, according to Lebanese authorities. The Israeli subject issued a caller displacement bid for the metropolis of Tyre, including the Christian 4th for the archetypal time, forcing thousands of residents and displaced families to fly earlier strikes deed the city.