By Desmond Nleya
TEHRAN — Iran says it has launched attacks against US military targets in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates following an American strike on rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said US military targets at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE were among those targeted in retaliation for the attack.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces struck two rocket launchers on Larak Island after determining they were preparing to deploy naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the situation as an “imminent threat”.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that several Iranian fighters and civilians were killed or wounded in the US attack.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking a wider war but warned that the country would not remain passive in the face of aggression.
“We are not looking for war,” Pezeshkian said, while maintaining that Iran would respond to attacks against its territory and interests.
A US official told Al Jazeera that American forces intercepted Iranian missiles launched towards targets in Jordan.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace.
The latest exchange marks a significant escalation in tensions involving Iran and the United States, raising fears that the conflict could spread further across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, adding to mounting regional tensions.
