Tehran Sept 2:
Iran launched a retaliatory missile and drone offensive against US military positions in the Middle East after Washington intensified airstrikes on Iranian targets, sharply escalating the conflict and raising fears of a wider regional war.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the operation as a “regretful response to the aggressors” and said it had targeted a US military base in Jordan with ballistic missiles. Iranian state media also reported a large-scale drone attack on a US base in Bahrain. The attacks came after the United States launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian military infrastructure, including air defence, radar and communications facilities, particularly around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Jordan said its air defences intercepted 10 of the 13 ballistic missiles that entered its airspace, while three missiles fell in remote areas away from populated centres. Bahrain also reported intercepting Iranian drones. Kuwait, meanwhile, said its air defence systems were responding to hostile drone activity following the Iranian retaliation. The Iranian attacks reportedly targeted US-linked military facilities across several countries, highlighting the growing geographic spread of the conflict.
The renewed hostilities have also heightened concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant share of the world’s oil supplies passes. Iran has warned that shipping through the strategic waterway could face further restrictions, while global oil prices rose sharply amid fears of supply disruptions. Brent crude moved close to $96 a barrel as markets reacted to the fresh military escalation.
The latest exchange marks a serious breakdown in the relative lull that had followed earlier ceasefire efforts. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has separately indicated that Tehran would return to the ceasefire arrangement if Washington also honours its commitments, suggesting that a diplomatic opening still exists despite the renewed fighting.
The escalation has placed US military personnel and American allies across the Gulf and wider Middle East on heightened alert. With Iran now expanding its retaliation beyond its own territory and the United States warning of further military action, fears are growing that the conflict could draw more countries directly into the confrontation.