Iran launches counterattack, announces closure of Strait of Hormuz
Photo: Reuters.
In response to US President Donald Trump’s order to strike multiple locations in Iran, Tehran has launched a counterattack. The country has targeted US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Attacks have also been carried out on two ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Wednesday, US forces stated that the strikes were carried out in response to Iran’s unprovoked and continued aggression. Trump claimed that 49 Tomahawk missiles were used to hit targets inside Iran. He also claimed that some of the strikes were carried out just 40 miles (64 km) from the Iranian capital, Tehran.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump further claimed that US warplanes are patrolling Iranian skies and destroying radar systems and air defense systems in the country’s southwest.
Meanwhile, following the US strikes, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has closed the indefinitely. Blaming the US for repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement reached in April, the IRGC announced that the Strait of Hormuz “will remain closed until further notice.”
The IRGC stated that all traffic, including oil tankers and commercial vessels, will be barred from this vital waterway.
The IRGC also reported that two oil tankers were attacked while attempting to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, Iran claimed responsibility for strikes on Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base, Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, and Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base.
The US strikes came one day after Iran’s attack destroyed a US Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. The two pilots of the downed helicopter were rescued from the sea. Later, Trump told media that the US would strike Iran “very hard.”
Prior to that, in a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Iran had taken too much time to negotiate a peace agreement, and “now they will have to pay the price.”
In response, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in an X post: “Critical infrastructure is the lifeline of the people. Threatening to target various sectors, from transportation systems to electricity and water industries, is not a show of strength—it is a sign of desperation.”
Source: Al Jazeera
