Iran has again claimed attacks on United States military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan and targeted two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for renewed waves of US attacks on the country.<\/p>\n
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched drone strikes on Bahrain\u2019s Sheikh Isa airbase and Kuwait\u2019s Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al-Jaber airbases early on Thursday.<\/p>\n
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The Al-Azraq Airbase in Jordan was also targeted with 12 ballistic missiles, it said, while two oil tankers that attempted \u201cto illegally pass through\u201d the Strait of Hormuz were also hit.<\/p>\n
Bahrain activated air raid sirens twice, while Kuwait said its air defence systems were \u201cintercepting hostile aerial targets\u201d.<\/p>\n
The IRGC said the strikes were in response to the US\u2019s \u201crepeated violations\u201d of an April ceasefire and also declared the Strait of Hormuz \u201cclosed until further notice\u201d.<\/p>\n
All traffic in the waterway, including oil tankers and commercial vessels, would be shot at, it said.<\/p>\n
The attacks came after the US\u2019s Central Command announced renewed strikes on \u201cmultiple targets\u201d inside Iran. The military said the strikes were at President Donald Trump\u2019s \u201cdirection\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and \u201cin response to Iran\u2019s unwarranted and continued aggression\u201d.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera\u2019s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said about a dozen places were hit in three waves of attacks by the US, including in Karaj, west of the Iranian capital.<\/p>\n Iranian state media said there were explosions on the islands of Qeshm and Kish and in the cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik along the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Blasts also hit the southern city of Kargan, wounding at least two people, the IRIB broadcaster reported.<\/p>\n The US Central Command said it hit \u201cmilitary surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites across Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n The latest exchange came a day after the two sides traded tit-for-tat strikes over the downing of a US Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Washington blamed Tehran for the incident and said the two pilots were rescued uninjured.<\/p>\n Iran said it targeted<\/a> the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, as well as an airbase in Azraq, Jordan, on Wednesday. The US, meanwhile, bombed<\/a> Qeshm Island as well as the ports of Sirik, Jask and Bandar Abbas.<\/p>\n