Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Jul 19: The United States military on Sunday announced fresh airstrikes against Iran, saying the attacks were launched to "swiftly punish" the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after an Iranian attack in Jordan killed two American service members, left one missing and injured four others.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were aimed at further weakening Iran's ability to disrupt oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that handled around 20 per cent of the world's oil supplies before the conflict.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that an area near Sirik, along the Strait of Hormuz in the southern Hormozgan province, was targeted at around 1.30 am local time, citing local authorities.
The latest operation followed the US military's announcement that two American troops had been killed by direct Iranian fire in Jordan on Friday, marking the first such fatalities since the early days of the war. The identities of the personnel were not disclosed, and CENTCOM released no further details.
Since the conflict began, 16 US service members have been killed and more than 430 injured.
In neighbouring Iraq, a drone struck a base belonging to the Kurdistan Freedom Party, an Iranian Kurdish dissident group, near Irbil early on Sunday, injuring eight of its members, military official Rebaz Sharifi said.
Residents of Irbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, also reported hearing explosions from air defence systems. The city has faced repeated drone attacks over the past four days, coinciding with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit to Washington last week and rising tensions between the United States and Iran.
No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, although Iran and Iran-backed militias have previously targeted the Kurdish region, where US troops and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups are based.
Minutes before the US confirmed the troop deaths, Iran's supreme leader warned Washington of "unforgettable lessons" if attacks on the Islamic Republic continued.
The remarks, read on Iranian state television and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since the conflict began, also described US President Donald Trump's signature as "worthless and invalid."
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi later announced that Tehran was suspending its commitments under the interim agreement reached about a month ago to end hostilities, accusing Washington of violating its obligations.
"There was no new word on mediation efforts," Iranian state media reported.
The battle has increasingly centred on control of the Strait of Hormuz, with expanding military operations raising concerns over civilian infrastructure, including desalination plants that provide drinking water, while fuelling fresh worries over global energy supplies.
On Saturday, significant damage was reported in Kuwait after Iranian strikes hit a desalination plant and an oil facility, according to Kuwaiti authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Several people were injured at the oil facility, while the desalination plant caught fire, forcing multiple power generation units offline.
The attack marked the second strike on a desalination facility in Kuwait within two days. The country relies on desalination for about 90 per cent of its drinking water.
Several firefighters and a worker were injured while tackling two additional fires triggered by Iranian strikes, the Kuwait Fire Force said. Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace because of missile threats, while Kuwait Airways rescheduled most flights to and from the capital.
Elsewhere, Iraq said it intercepted attack drones over Irbil. Jordan's state-run Petra news agency reported that its air defence systems shot down Iranian missiles, while air raid sirens sounded repeatedly in Bahrain and parts of Saudi Arabia.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi accused Iran of committing war crimes through attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and essential public facilities.