U.S. military launches new strikes in southern Iran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced on Thursday that it had targeted a U.S. air base at 04:50 local time, following a U.S. attack carried out before dawn near Bandar Abbas Airport, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.
The Revolutionary Guard did not specify the location of the targeted base, warning that any repeat of what it described as “aggression” would trigger a “more decisive” response and holding the “aggressor” responsible for the consequences.
Meanwhile, a U.S. official told Agence France-Presse that the American military had shot down four Iranian attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also targeted an Iranian ground control station in the coastal city of Bandar Abbas that was reportedly preparing to launch a fifth drone.
The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the military actions as “calculated and purely defensive” and aimed at preserving the ceasefire.
He added that the strikes followed U.S. attacks conducted Monday night and Tuesday against missile launch sites in southern Iran and boats attempting to lay mines, actions American officials characterized as “self-defense.”
In the same context, Iranian media reported hearing three explosions east of the coastal city of Bandar Abbas around 1:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. Iranian air defenses were reportedly activated for several minutes, while authorities continued investigating the source of the sounds and explosions.
These developments are being viewed as a test of the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, though they have not yet led to a large-scale resumption of fighting.
Reuters + AFP
