Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday claimed it had struck 21 American air and naval bases across West Asia, destroyed hangars of the F-35 fighter jets, and targeted the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, signalling a dramatic widening of the military confrontation between Tehran and Washington.
The claims came amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Gulf following a series of military exchanges between the two countries. While the IRGC described the attacks as retaliation for recent US actions against targets inside Iran, the developments have heightened fears that the conflict could spread across a region hosting several American military installations.
According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, the IRGC said four key military locations were targeted, including the US Army’s command and control centre at Jordan’s Al-Azraq base, which it claimed had been destroyed. The Iranian force also claimed to have struck the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan as part of a broader operation targeting 21 American military facilities.
Also Read: US bombs Iran after Apache downed over Hormuz; Tehran warns, ‘leave our region’
Iranian state broadcaster Press TV later reported fresh explosions in Kuwait and Bahrain, citing local sources that claimed American bases in both countries had again come under attack.
Separately, the IRGC claimed responsibility for a drone strike on the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain at around 2:30 am local time.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the Guards said the operation was launched after what it described as American attacks on several locations in southern Iran.
“The warmongering US regime attacked several points in Jask, Sirik, and Qeshm early this morning under false pretexts, damaging a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroying two water tanks in the city,” the IRGC said.
The statement added that naval forces had launched a drone strike on the Bahrain-based fleet headquarters in response.
Shortly after Iran’s announcement, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that air raid sirens had been activated across the country.
In a message posted on X, the ministry urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.
What triggered the latest Iran-US confrontation?
The latest escalation follows the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, an incident that sharply intensified hostilities between the two sides.
On Tuesday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had begun what it called “self-defence strikes” against Iran.
“US Central Command forces began launching self-defence strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a US Army Apache helicopter,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X, describing the operation as a proportional response to Iranian aggression.
US President Donald Trump had earlier confirmed that an Iranian attack had brought down the helicopter while it was conducting patrol operations over the Strait of Hormuz.
“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The US President said both pilots survived the incident without injuries but stressed that Washington would respond to the attack.
Iran warns US against military presence in Gulf
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran would respond to any threat posed by the United States in the region.
“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
He further warned that Iran’s armed forces would not leave any attack unanswered and urged the United States to withdraw its military presence from the Gulf.
The latest exchanges are unfolding against the backdrop of an expanding regional conflict involving Iran and Israel, with recent reports of attacks on Iranian infrastructure and strikes targeting Israeli military facilities.