Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has escalated its ‘eye-for-an-eye’ campaign, claiming coordinated missile and drone strikes on US military bases in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, while the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed fresh precision strikes across Iran. The confrontation has sharply intensified around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global trade artery.

Iran’s state-affiliated Nour News Agency reported that the IRGC and Iranian Army launched large-scale missile and drone attacks on US-linked bases in the Gulf region.

A senior Iranian military official said the operation was planned in response to continuing US strikes inside Iran and targeted sites identified after monitoring “enemy movements” over the past 48 hours.

The IRGC said the first phase of the operation struck Jordan’s Prince Hassan Airbase, claiming missiles and drones set fire to fuel depots and ammunition storage facilities. It linked the US strikes to an earlier IRGC Navy operation that intercepted two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing them of switching off tracking systems and endangering navigation.

The second phase targeted Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Airbase. Iran claimed its aerospace forces hit helicopter maintenance facilities, a hangar housing a P-8 surveillance aircraft, and a US drone command-and-control centre. Sirens were reportedly activated multiple times across Bahrain as explosions were heard.

The third phase focused on Kuwait. The IRGC claimed to have destroyed fuel tanks and Patriot air defence systems at Ali Al-Salem Airbase, along with a strategic FPS radar system at Ahmed Al-Jaber Airbase.

Iran emphasised that these strikes were part of its continuing retaliatory campaign and warned against further US involvement in the Strait of Hormuz, declaring it would not allow foreign military interference in the strategic waterway.

Iranian officials said the retaliatory operations were ongoing and that further results would be announced. Reports also indicated additional waves of Iranian strikes targeting US-linked facilities in Oman and Qatar, suggesting the operation may be expanding beyond the initial three Gulf states.

The escalation follows CENTCOM’s announcement of a major offensive on Sunday. US forces struck dozens of Iranian military installations, including air-defence systems, coastal radar infrastructure, missile and drone launch sites, and small tactical vessels.

In a notable escalation, CENTCOM deployed fighter aircraft, naval combatants, one-way attack aerial drones, and one-way attack sea drones simultaneously. The US military said the strikes were intended to protect international shipping and degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM stressed that the Strait of Hormuz remains an international waterway and declared, “Iran does not control it.” The US accused Tehran of unwarranted aggression, harassment, and threats against commercial shipping. In a statement on X, CENTCOM confirmed that the Commander in Chief had directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable.

The confrontation has already impacted global markets, with oil prices climbing amid fears of supply disruption. Regional states such as Jordan and Kuwait reported intercepting incoming missiles, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens multiple times. Iran, meanwhile, claimed to have shot down a US drone over Bandar Abbas, further intensifying the standoff.

This latest cycle of strikes underscores the collapse of recent ceasefire efforts and highlights the growing risk of a wider regional conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 percent of global energy supplies transit.

Agencies