A new military escalation was recorded today in the Middle East, as the US and Iran exchanged strikes, threatening the fragile two-month ceasefire and calling into question Donald Trump’s claims that the two sides are close to an agreement to end the war.
According to the US military, the American strikes were a “proportional response” to the downing of a US helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, for which Washington blamed Tehran. US fighter jets reportedly struck Iranian targets near the Persian Gulf, including air defense systems and radar facilities.
It is not yet clear whether the new exchange of strikes will affect negotiations to end the war.
Iran rejected the US account, with the Revolutionary Guards claiming that the attacks were carried out “under a false pretext.” Tehran then announced that it had responded with drone attacks against US naval targets in Bahrain and missile strikes against American military facilities in Jordan.
Jordan said it intercepted five missiles launched from Iran toward an area where the Muwaffaq Salti base is located, a site that has been used for US air operations. Bahrain and Kuwait also announced the interception of Iranian drones and missiles. The Iranian side claimed it had caused damage to US bases, but this has not been confirmed.
At the same time, Iranian state television reported that US strikes hit drinking-water facilities in southern Iran, a claim that has not been independently verified. For now, neither side has clarified whether the new exchange of strikes will affect negotiations to end the war, which began in late February with US-Israeli strikes against Iran.
Source: New York Times
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