Iran attacked American bases in Jordan and Bahrain on Wednesday, warning its Gulf neighbours that they had a “responsibility” to stop the United States and Israel from using their territory to strike the Islamic Republic.
The strikes came after the US carried out attacks on Iran in response to the downing of an American helicopter, straining a ceasefire that took effect in April.
The exchange drew international calls for restraint on the eve of the World Cup, which the US is co-hosting and Iran is participating in.
It has also cast doubt on US President Donald Trump’s claim that negotiations on an enduring settlement to end the Middle East war were in their “final throes.”
The conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, threw the region into chaos and rattled global markets before the shaky truce began.
In Bahrain, an AFP correspondent in the capital Manama said several loud explosions could be heard, as Iran’s Guards said they had struck a US base there.
Iranian forces also fired “long-range missiles” at US targets in Jordan, the Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday.
