The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran on Tuesday, prompting a retaliatory response from Tehran, which said it had targeted a major US naval base in Bahrain and an airbase in Jordan.
The escalation came hours after President Donald Trump vowed to respond to the reported downing of a US military helicopter, while Bahraini authorities urged residents to seek shelter and remain calm amid growing regional tensions.
The US Central Command said it began carrying out “self-defence strikes” against Iran at 5pm Eastern Time (5am on Wednesday in Hong Kong), describing the operation as a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression”.
According to the military, US Air Force and Navy fighter jets used precision-guided munitions to hit Iranian air-defence systems, ground-control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed its missiles struck four “key targets” at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan, including facilities supporting US F-35 stealth fighter aircraft and command-and-control systems.
Trump had earlier said Iran had “shot down” a US military helicopter while it was patrolling the strategic waterway, warning that Washington would respond.
