Middle East — Ekhbary News Agency
The United States military initiated its tenth consecutive wave of strikes against Iran, aiming to compel the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. This significant escalation follows the deaths of three US service members over the weekend, prompting President Donald Trump to declare Iran would "pay many times over" for the casualties. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, for his part, asserted the nation was embroiled in a "full-scale war" as Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on Washington's Gulf allies, even while diplomatic efforts for de-escalation reportedly persist.
Escalation and Regional Responses
Reports from Iranian media detailed explosions near Tabriz, suspected of housing underground missile bases, and Bushehr, home to Iran's sole operational civilian nuclear power plant. The US military confirmed targeting "military command centres, air defence and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks." Iran, in turn, struck Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, and Kuwait, alongside attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain's air traffic systems sustained damage, though operations remained unaffected. Separately, the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen announced a blockade of Saudi ports, intensifying the regional dynamic. All told, the tit-for-tat exchanges threaten broader regional stability.
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Casualties and Political Fallout
The Pentagon released the identities of two soldiers killed in a Friday strike on Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti air base: First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19. A third service member died in northern Iraq from a "controlled detonation" of unexploded ordnance. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut accused President Trump of "frighteningly lost control of this war," reflecting widespread anxiety over rising casualties. Kuwaiti air defences, responding to hostile Iranian missile and drone attacks, underscored the volatile situation across the Gulf.
