Iran Claims Strikes on US Bases Across Middle East as Regional Conflict Intensifies
DUBAI: The Middle East moved closer to a wider regional conflict on Friday after Iran claimed it had launched coordinated attacks on US military facilities in Syria, Jordan, Qatar and Oman in retaliation for recent American airstrikes. The latest escalation has heightened fears that the long running tensions between Washington and Tehran could spill across the region, according to Arab News.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted what it described as US military assets, including radar installations, aircraft and command centers. According to Iranian state media, one strike hit the former US special operations command center at Al-Tanf in southern Syria, which Tehran said was carried out in response to the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr. However, the US military had previously announced that it completed its withdrawal from the Al-Tanf base earlier this year. Neither Washington nor Syrian authorities immediately confirmed the Iranian claim.
The IRGC also announced that it attacked the US-operated Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, saying the operation was intended to “punish the aggressor” after overnight US strikes on Iranian territory. In Oman, Iran claimed to have destroyed two US radar sites, while also reporting missile and drone strikes on US military aircraft stationed in Jordan.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted and destroyed three Iranian missiles that entered its airspace, adding that no casualties or damage were reported. Meanwhile, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, the US led coalition shot down eight explosive laden drones over Erbil during the early hours of Friday. Kurdish security officials confirmed that the interceptions prevented any damage or injuries.
The violence also affected neighboring Kuwait, where authorities said an Iranian attack damaged a power generation and water desalination station, sparking a fire and disrupting electricity production at several generating units.
The latest developments underscore the growing risk of a broader regional war involving multiple countries. Although several governments have sought to stay out of the confrontation, the expanding exchange of missile and drone attacks suggests that the conflict is no longer confined to a single battlefield. As tensions continue to rise, regional leaders and the international community face mounting pressure to prevent the crisis from escalating into a full scale war.
