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 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, as well as the diversion of two commercial ships that, according to the Pentagon, attempted to evade U.S. 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 agree to return to the negotiating table. “Next week the situation will be very bad for them,” he said.
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Tehran threatened regional infrastructure if the United States attacks Iran
Tehran threatened on Thursday to strike the regional infrastructure of countries allied with the United States if Washington carries out its warnings to target Iranian facilities.
A spokesperson for Iran’s military headquarters said that if those warnings are carried out, “the entire infrastructure of the region would be crushed under the steel blows of the Iranian armed forces.”
Israel informed the Pentagon it will keep troops in “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, informed his U.S. counterpart, Pete Hegseth, that the Israeli military will keep its forces in the “security zones” established in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement released Thursday, the two officials spoke overnight and Katz “emphasized Israel’s determination to remain in the security zones in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon to protect its borders and nearby communities from threats posed by jihadist forces.”
Fire and smoke observed in Chabahar, Iran, after reports of an explosion
Oil prices fall
Oil prices fell on Thursday as traders took profits and assessed the risks linked to a new wave of strikes and counterattacks in the sector. After a four-day rally, Brent crude futures dropped $0.24 (0.28%) to $84.95 per barrel at 04:35 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures fell $0.15 (0.19%), to $79.45 per barrel.
Brent briefly rose by nearly $1 at the start of the session, and both contracts remained close to their 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 military 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 new threats.
Meanwhile, the Iranian military said its drones attacked communications systems, fuel depots and a fixed radar station at Al Azraq airbase in Jordan, identified as a U.S. military base. The statement, released by official Iranian media, said the offensive corresponds to 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 said killed seven soldiers.
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Iraq’s prime minister condemned the “drone attack” over 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 said.
Al-Zaidi said instructions have been given to security agencies, in coordination with regional forces, to take all necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of such attacks and to protect the security of Iraqi society.
Iranian media reported explosions in Tehran, Iran’s capital
State media in Iran reported that air defense alerts were activated in several areas of Tehran on Thursday morning and that explosions were heard in the north and west of the country.
The 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, IRNA and the Mehr agency said.