US Airstrikes Near Bandar Abbas and Iran Announces Attack on US Base

SadaNews - The Gulf region witnessed a new military escalation between the United States and Iran during the dawn and morning hours of Thursday, amid ongoing tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, despite a ceasefire between the two sides since last April and ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement.

On Thursday morning, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the targeting of a "US airbase" in response to the airstrikes carried out by the United States on southern Iran, according to the official Iranian Radio and Television organization.

The Revolutionary Guard stated in a statement that the US military conducted an aerial attack targeting a location in the vicinity of Bandar Abbas Airport, adding that "at 4:50 AM, the US airbase that was the source of the attack was targeted." The statement did not disclose the location of the targeted base.

Later, the Kuwaiti army announced that it was responding to "enemy missile and drone attacks" following the new US strikes on Iran, without providing further details.

In the same context, Iranian media reported that Iranian forces fired warning shots at four vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz "without coordination with security forces," forcing them to turn back, according to the Iranian Radio and Television organization.

The organization added that the ships ignored initial warnings before Iranian forces fired warning shots at them near the strait, which has been experiencing rising tensions for months.

In contrast, American reports cited a Washington official stating that the US military shot down four Iranian drones and conducted strikes targeting a control center in the city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

This escalation comes a day after the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against the "Persian Gulf Strait Authority," which Iran recently established to manage the Strait of Hormuz and collect fees related to maritime navigation.

US Treasury Secretary Scott P. Smith stated, "The Iranian forces' attempts to extort global maritime trade demonstrate the Iranian regime's need for liquidity," threatening to impose sanctions on entities dealing with the Iranian organization.

In turn, Tehran emphasized that it will continue to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that it does not impose "transit fees," but rather fees for "navigational services."

The military escalation coincided with a new rise in oil prices, as Brent crude increased by about 2% to reach $96.13 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude rose by 1.75% to $90.23 per barrel, amid fears of an escalation of confrontation and its impact on navigation and global energy supplies.

War erupted following American and Israeli attacks targeting Iran on February 28, and at that time Tehran responded with missile strikes and drones that targeted several countries in the region.