Iran war day 104: Iran says it attacks US bases after American strikes

EXPLAINER

Iran says it launched retaliatory strikes connected US bases successful the portion aft America launched caller attacks wrong Iran.

Iran says it has launched retaliatory strikes against US forces successful the region, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming attacks connected bases successful Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, according to Iranian authorities media reports.

The escalation came aft the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had carried retired strikes against aggregate targets wrong Iran, describing the operations arsenic acts of “self-defense” amid soaring tensions betwixt Washington and Tehran.

US President Donald Trump had earlier warned that further subject enactment was imminent, accusing Iran of failing to scope an statement with Washington. “They’ve taken excessively agelong to negociate a woody that would person been large for them; present they volition person to wage the price,” Trump said.

Here is what’s happening

In Iran

• US strikes connected Iran: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that Washington was launching strikes connected “key facilities” successful Iran, saying the attacks were portion of attempts to unafraid a imperishable ceasefire. Speaking extracurricular CENTCOM office successful Tampa, Florida, Hegseth said President Donald Trump had ordered Iran to beryllium deed “hard” and warned the strikes could proceed for a 2nd consecutive nighttime if necessary.
• Strait of Hormuz closed: In effect to the latest attacks, Iran’s apical subject bid announced the implicit closure of the Strait of Hormuz, 1 of the world’s astir captious lipid transit routes. Officials warned each vessels to enactment distant from the strategical waterway, saying immoderate ships attempting to walk done could travel nether attack.
• Water services restored: Authorities successful Iran’s Hormozgan state said h2o supplies had been restored to affected communities successful Sirik region little than 12 hours aft US strikes damaged infrastructure. Iranian media reported that 2 factual h2o retention reservoirs were deed successful the attacks. A New York Times investigation suggested the tanks whitethorn person been struck with precision-guided munitions, raising concerns arsenic planetary humanitarian instrumentality considers civilian h2o infrastructure a protected site.
• Tehran reacts to renewed fighting: Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall said galore Iranians had been expecting different US onslaught contempt renewed speech of negotiations. “They person been waiting and expecting a astonishment American attack,” Vall said, adding that Tehran retaliated by striking US bases successful Kuwait and Bahrain, according to subject commanders. The latest exchanges people different nighttime of nonstop confrontation aft some sides had suggested the erstwhile circular of attacks had travel to an end.

In the Gulf and Jordan

• Flights diverted successful Kuwait: Kuwait’s civilian aviation authorization temporarily closed the country’s airspace arsenic a precaution amid the escalating conflict, citing “Iranian aggressions”. Authorities said flights would beryllium diverted to different airports successful enactment with approved exigency procedures. Kuwait Airways announced a unopen down of each of its flights.
• US issues alert for Jordan: The US State Department urged radical successful Jordan to question overhead screen and structure successful spot immediately, informing that reports indicated missiles, drones oregon rockets had entered Jordanian airspace amid the escalating determination conflict.

In Israel

• Projectiles onshore adjacent Israeli troops: The Israeli subject said sirens that sounded crossed parts of bluish Israel were triggered aft 2 projectiles launched from Lebanon fell adjacent Israeli troops operating successful confederate Lebanon. The service reported nary casualties oregon harm to subject equipment.

In the US

• Trump details latest strikes: Speaking to Fox News, Donald Trump said the US fired 49 Tomahawk missiles astatine targets wrong Iran, immoderate arsenic adjacent arsenic 40 miles (64km) from Tehran, portion US combatant jets targeted radar and aerial defence systems adjacent the Persian Gulf. Trump besides warned that if Iran did not judge a woody projected by US negotiators, the US would weaponry the state again “tomorrow night”. According to Fox, helium further claimed that elder Iranian officials had contacted him to inquire Washington to halt the attacks — a assertion Iranian officials person rejected.
• “Using bombs” to unit talks: Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said Trump had signalled earlier that different US onslaught connected Iran was likely, arguing Tehran was “stringing the US along” successful negotiations contempt antecedently saying the 2 sides were adjacent to a deal. Fisher noted that Hegseth aboriginal indicated CENTCOM would beryllium “busy tonight”, describing the strikes arsenic an effort to “expand the diplomatic field” for Trump’s negotiators by “using bombs to get Iran backmost to the negotiating table”.
• Diplomacy done coercion: Retired US General Mark Kimmitt told Al Jazeera that Washington’s latest strikes look to stem much from vexation with stalled diplomacy than from immoderate caller Iranian battlefield provocation. Making comparisons with the Vietnam War, Kimmitt said the US had antecedently utilized dense bombardment to “bring them backmost to the negotiating table”. But helium questioned whether the aforesaid attack would enactment with Tehran. “The Iranians usage patience arsenic 1 of their top tools,” helium said.

In Lebanon

• Deadly onslaught successful Sidon: An Israeli onslaught connected a conveyance successful the confederate Lebanese metropolis of Sidon killed 2 radical and acceptable adjacent cars ablaze. Israel has continued carrying retired strikes successful Lebanon contempt the US-announced ceasefire that took effect connected April 16.