The United States struck Iran and Tehran hit back at US allies in the Gulf on Thursday, as the foes battled over the vital Strait of Hormuz in the renewed Middle East war.
The key oil and gas artery, which Iran insists it controls, is central to the rekindled fighting that has entered its sixth day despite the foes’ preliminary deal in June aiming to end the war.
US forces hit Iranian military targets in multiple locations, including coastal Bandar Abbas, to “degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners” in the Strait of Hormuz, Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Earlier strikes had targeted coastal defence and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island in the Gulf, CENTCOM added.
Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported explosions in several areas of the country on Thursday, including Lorestan in the west and Senman in the north, while air defences were triggered in parts of Tehran.
Soon after, US allies in the Gulf began reporting attacks, with Kuwait saying it intercepted Iranian drones and Bahrain sounding air raid sirens.
At the heart of the renewed fighting is the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway crucial to global oil and gas flows.
