US President Donald Trump warned of major escalation in coming days, with bridges and energy supplies under threat from major bombardment if Tehran does not try to settle on a deal to end war
Peace plans to end the US-Iran war were left in tatters as the conflict exploded into huge missile exchanges threatening to envelop the Middle East.
More than 30 people have been killed and hundreds injured by US attacks as President Donald Trump vowed to target civilian infrastructure to end the Strait of Hormuz paralysis. In a fifth wave of devastating bombing runs since the weekend US attack jets and naval missile teams launched a 90 minute attack on the cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
American Central Command announced its latest attacks were aimed at “degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”. The escalation was ordered by Trump after several international shops in the Strait of Hormuz were targeted by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in recent days. The countries of Jordan Kuwait and Bahrain came under fire from the shadowy IRGC as Bahrain’s defence ministry confirmed the country’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed “a number of treacherous Iranian air strikes” earlier today.
Iran’s IRGC said it had also targeted military facilities belonging to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain last night. The Iranian army said it launched an attack on the Al-Azraq base in Jordan with Kamikaze drones this morning.
F-18 fighter jets, accommodation and a large equipment warehouse at the facility were all targeted in the attack. Tehran has launched six major drone operations against the US military bases in the Gulf region since the ceasefire between the two countries was broken last week.
The US now has two aircraft carriers and 19 battleships parked in the Arabian Sea off Iran, ready for more strikes. Trump warned Iran’s civilian infrastructure will come under heavy fire next week if Tehran’s regime does not return to peace talks. He said: “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, we’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night, we’re going to hit them very hard the night after. “And then next week it gets really bad for them, because next week comes the power plants, next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants, we’re going to knock out all their bridges, unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
Iran has condemned the UK’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group. Its Foreign Ministry declared Britain would bear the “political, legal and diplomatic consequences” of the move.” In a statement, the ministry described the designation as “unjustified and irresponsible” and said it violated international law. The ministry accused the UK of basing its decision on what it described as “baseless security allegations.” It said Iran reserved all its rights under the UN Charter and international law to take countermeasures in response to what it called Britain’s “inappropriate” action.
