Istanbul / Anadolu

The United States announced on Thursday it launched new strikes against Iran, which said it responded with missile attacks on what it described as US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, while Jordan announced it had downed 8 Iranian missiles.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that its forces launched strikes on Thursday morning targeting coastal defense sites and cruise missiles on the Iranian island of Greater Tunb, during a wave that lasted 90 minutes.

In response, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that the Iranian army targeted "radar systems, a Patriot air defense system, and fuel storage facilities at Ali Al Salem Air Base" in Kuwait, as well as US military installations at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

For its part, the Kuwaiti army announced in a statement on Thursday that air defenses repelled attacks by "hostile drones," following what it described as "the sinful Iranian aggression."

It added that "any explosion sounds heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks."

The official Jordan News Agency (Petra) quoted an unnamed official in the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces as saying that air defense systems shot down 8 Iranian ballistic missiles on Thursday that were targeting the kingdom's territory.

He added that the interception and downing operation "did not result in any casualties or material damage."

On Wednesday, US Central Command announced it had launched "an evening wave of strikes against Iran aimed at further undermining its ability to threaten sailors aboard commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz."

In response, Tehran has been striking what it says are US military installations in Arab countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, for days, while some of these countries have announced that the Iranian attacks resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian facilities.

On June 18, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding that included a ceasefire, and began negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Qatar to end the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran on February 28.

However, US President Donald Trump announced on July 8 the end of the ceasefire amid renewed escalation, after Iran attacked three ships the day before while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz, claiming they did not adhere to the navigation course it had set, prompting Washington to retaliate with attacks on sites inside Iran.

Washington supports the passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz on a route different from the one set by Iran, which Tehran rejects, stressing that it targets any ship that does not coordinate with it before crossing the strategic strait for global energy supplies.