Washington, 30 July (H.S.): The United States carried out a fresh round of airstrikes on targets inside Iran early Thursday, marking the first American military action against Iranian territory in nearly a week after Tehran launched missiles at a US military base in Jordan, sharply escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The strikes were launched after the US accused Iran of carrying out a missile attack against American forces stationed in Jordan. According to the US military, the operation was a direct response to what it described as an attempted attack on its personnel and military installations in the region.
The latest escalation came just hours after US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would respond forcefully to Iran's actions. He indicated that the United States would retaliate decisively if American forces continued to come under attack, signalling an end to the brief pause in military operations that had been intended to allow diplomatic efforts to resume.
Earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for launching ballistic missiles at a US command centre and airbase in Jordan. Tehran described the strike as retaliation for what it called continued American military aggression in the region.
The US military said its air defence systems successfully intercepted all incoming missiles aimed at the base in Jordan, adding that no casualties or significant damage had been reported.
Iran, however, maintained that it would continue responding as long as it perceived threats from the United States. Iranian officials also urged Washington to end what they described as unlawful military actions against the Islamic Republic.
In a separate development, Iranian naval forces claimed they had intercepted and targeted three oil tankers attempting to approach the Strait of Hormuz through routes not authorised by Tehran, further raising concerns over maritime security in one of the world's most strategically important shipping corridors.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
