Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out early-morning strikes at an American military base after aerial projectiles reportedly struck areas on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency on Thursday.
As per the Iranian outlet, IRGC said in a statement, “Following the pre-dawn aggression today by the invading American army against a point on the outskirts of Bandar Abbas Airport using aerial projectiles, the American airbase, as the origin of the aggression, was targeted at 4:50 a.m.”
IRGC however did not provide the name or share specific details of the latest attack.
The latest escalation between the United States and Iran follows Iranian media reports on Thursday of an exchange of fire between the two sides near the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran claiming that its naval forces confronted vessels attempting to pass through the strategic waterway without prior coordination.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing an “informed military source”, reported that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy fired on a US tanker that had “tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz by turning off its radar system.”
Tasnim further reported that US forces responded by firing “at a scorched area around Bandar Abbas.”
“The sound of the explosions was related to this incident” and “did not cause any casualties or property damage”, agency added in its news report.
In a separate news report, Tasnim news agency said that Iranian naval forces intercepted four vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf “without coordinating with Iranian authorities”.
Citing an informed military official, the agency reported that the vessels were first issued warnings by Iranian naval forces. When the ships allegedly ignored the warnings, Iranian forces fired warning shots, prompting them to retreat.
Meanwhile, CBS News reported that the US military conducted another round of strikes in Iran on Wednesday (local time), citing a US official who described the action as “defensive” and intended to uphold a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
According to CBS News, the official said that US forces downed four Iranian drones and targeted a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas, which was reportedly preparing to launch a fifth drone.
The drones “posed a threat near the Strait of Hormuz,” CBS News reported, citing the official.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire”, the US official told CBS News.
The official added that despite the recent exchange, the US–Iran ceasefire was still regarded as being in effect.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump remained committed to striking a favourable ceasefire deal with Iran, warning that he “won’t be outlasted” as he “doesn’t care about the midterm” elections.
“Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. I’m doing that for the world, not just for us,” he added.
Speaking about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said tie will be “open to everybody”, adding that this remains part of the ceasefire negotiations.
