The Iranian regime launched a new wave of missile attacks against Persian Gulf countries that host U.S. military facilities. Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq reported intercepting several projectiles and condemned the Iranian strikes in the early hours of Thursday.
Late on Wednesday, the United States carried out another round of strikes on Iranian territory aimed at reducing Tehran’s ability to “threaten innocent mariners aboard commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
The new offensive occurred after Washington confirmed the reinstatement of a naval blockade on Iranian ports and coasts, and after two commercial ships were diverted that, according to the Pentagon, attempted to evade U.S.-imposed restrictions.
President Donald Trump hardened his stance toward Tehran and warned that the military campaign in the Middle East could expand in the coming days if the Iranian regime does not return to the negotiating table. “Next week the situation will be very bad for them,” he said.
Below is minute-by-minute coverage:
Oil prices fall
Oil prices fell on Thursday as traders took profits and assessed the risks associated with the renewed round of strikes and counterattacks in the region. After four consecutive sessions of gains, Brent crude futures were down $0.24 (0.28%) at $84.95 per barrel at 04:35 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures slipped $0.15 (0.19%), settling at $79.45 per barrel.
Brent had risen nearly $1 at the start of the session, and both contracts remained close to one-month highs.
Jordan intercepted eight Iranian missiles overnight
Jordan’s air defense systems intercepted and destroyed eight Iranian missiles aimed at the country in the early hours of Thursday, the Jordanian army said. No casualties or material damage were reported. Engineering teams secured the areas where debris fell, and the armed forces remain on high alert for possible further threats.
Meanwhile, the Iranian military said its drones struck communications systems, fuel depots and a fixed radar station at Al Azraq airbase in Jordan, which it identified as a U.S. military base. The statement, released by Iranian state media, said the operation was the ninth phase of “Operation Saeqeh” (Lightning) and was launched in response to recent U.S. attacks on Iran, including a strike on a military barracks in Sistan and Baluchestan province that Tehran says killed seven service members.
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Iraq’s prime minister condemned the “drone attack” on Erbil on Thursday
Iraq’s prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, condemned a “drone attack” that violated Erbil’s airspace in the Kurdistan region after several drones were shot down, his office reported.
Al-Zaidi said security agencies, in coordination with regional forces, have been instructed to take all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such attacks and to protect the safety of Iraqi society.
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, the capital
Iranian state media reported that air defense sirens were activated in several areas of Tehran on Thursday morning and that explosions were heard in the north and west of the country.
State news agency IRNA reported that, so far, no casualties have been recorded in Tehran. Additional explosions were heard in the western province of Lorestan and in Semnan in the north, according to IRNA and the Mehr agency.