The United States completed this Sunday its eighth consecutive night of attacks against Iran, in response to an Iranian offensive that left two American soldiers dead and another missing at a base located in Jordan.
The United States Central Command reported that the bombings hit Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, as well as maritime capabilities and missile and drone depots linked to the Revolutionary Guard.
Washington stated that the operation aims to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial transport in the Strait of Hormuz and respond to attacks against its forces deployed in the region.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Army confirmed the death of another member of its forces in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of the remains of a downed Iranian drone. With this case, the number of U.S. military personnel killed since the start of the conflict has risen to 17, while more than 420 have been injured.
Iran responded with new missile and drone launches against U.S. and allied targets. Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan activated their air defense systems, while the Jordanian Army reported intercepting three Iranian missiles.
Iranian state media also reported that one of the U.S. attacks hit the site where a nuclear power plant is being built in Darkhovin. The International Atomic Energy Agency indicated that it was reviewing the background and specified that the project was in an initial phase and did not contain nuclear material during its last inspection.
The new escalation occurs after the weakening of a provisional agreement reached between both countries and amid the dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for the global oil trade.
