Ceasefire rattled as US strikes Iran, drawing retaliatory attack on American base |
The United States struck southern Iran on Thursday, drawing retaliation from Tehran against a US military base, in the most serious clashes since an April ceasefire began.
The fighting, which drew in US ally Kuwait, threatened to jettison a fragile diplomatic push to forge a peace agreement and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a key point of contention in efforts to formally end the war.
The fresh fighting appeared to begin when Iranian forces fired at four ships attempting to cross the strait, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Thursday.
“Four vessels attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Persian Gulf without coordination with the security forces,” IRIB posted on Telegram, saying the incident took place at around 12:35 a.m. local time. It did not provide details on the ships.
“They were warned, but after they ignored the warning, warning shots were fired at them, forcing them to return,” the broadcaster added.
US forces launched strikes that hit a ground control station in the southern port area of Bandar Abbas, a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
According to Reuters, also citing a US official, the military also shot down four Iranian attack drones and hit the station before a fifth could launch.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official said.
Three explosions were heard east of Bandar Abbas at around 1:30 a.m. local time, Iranian media reported early on Thursday, adding that air defenses were activated for several minutes and that authorities were following up to determine the origin of the sounds.
The attack prompted a swift response by Iran. A Guards spokesperson, quoted by IRIB, said it “targeted” the American base that the attack on Bandar Abbas was launched from at 4:50 a.m.
The Guards did not provide details on the location of the base, though Kuwait’s military said its air defenses........