US Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran as Regional Tensions Escalate

ISLAMABAD: As the fighting further escalates in Persian Gulf region, The US CENTCOM said it started a new round of attacks on Iran, beginning at 6am on Wednesday.

“The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) threatened to cut off all energy exports from the Middle East following the reimposition of the US naval blockade on its ports.

“The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one,” the IRGC said in a statement.

The renewed exchange of military actions between Iran and the United States, along with competing efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz, has raised concerns about a broader regional conflict.

President Donald Trump announced the return of the blockade on Monday and initially proposed a 20 percent fee on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. He later withdrew the toll proposal while maintaining the blockade.

GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, including strikes on infrastructure and facilities that reportedly injured Kuwaiti military personnel.

He said the attacks represented a dangerous escalation and called on the international community to take measures to prevent further attacks and hold those responsible accountable.

Albudaiwi also reaffirmed the GCC’s support for Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan and for measures taken to protect their security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Bahrain said its defence forces intercepted several Iranian missile and drone attacks on Wednesday morning.

The government described the attacks as targeting civilians and urged residents to avoid approaching any suspicious objects.

At least seven personnel were killed in US strikes on an Iranian military base in Bampur overnight, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
The report said 13 missiles struck a guesthouse, guard posts and accommodation facilities at the base near the southeastern city of Iranshahr, causing multiple casualties.