Iran Targets U.S. Forces Across Region After American Strikes on Southern Iran
The IRGC says it targeted the U.S. Fifth Fleet and regional bases after CENTCOM struck Iranian sites near the Strait of Hormuz
Iran claimed early Wednesday that it launched retaliatory attacks against U.S. forces in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, sharply escalating the confrontation that began after Washington accused Tehran of downing an American Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with drones and fired missiles at an airbase in Jordan. The IRGC also claimed attacks on U.S.-linked military targets in Kuwait.
The Iranian claims came after U.S. Central Command said it carried out “self-defense strikes” against Iranian targets in response to what Washington described as the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. Two American crew members were rescued unharmed.
Iranian officials denied that they deliberately targeted the helicopter. Tehran’s deputy foreign minister told Al Jazeera that Iran did not intentionally bring down the aircraft, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would not leave any attack unanswered.
“Leave our region if you want to be safe,” Araghchi said, accusing Washington of choosing to “test” Iran’s determination.
The latest exchange places the region on the edge of a broader confrontation. The United States framed its strikes as limited and defensive, while Iran is now trying to show that any American strike on its territory will be met with direct pressure on U.S. forces across the Gulf and surrounding region.
Air-raid alerts were reported in Bahrain and Kuwait following the Iranian claims, while regional militaries moved to intercept hostile aerial threats.
The escalation also comes as Israel continues operations in southern Lebanon. Israeli strikes on Tuesday killed nearly 20 people, according to reports from Lebanon, while Israel issued further evacuation orders ahead of additional military action against Hezbollah-linked targets.
The key question now is whether Washington and Tehran stop at this round of retaliation, or whether the exchange opens a new phase in the Iran war — one in which U.S. bases and naval assets across the region become direct targets.