US strikes Bandar Abbas, Iran retaliates by targeting American air base as Hormuz tensions soar
New US strikes on Iran’s Bandar Abbas and an Iranian retaliatory attack on a US air base have heightened tensions, while Iranian forces fired warning shots at vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
US strikes on Bandar Abbas
US Central Command forces shot down four Iranian single-use attack drones and struck a ground control station in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, preventing the launch of a fifth drone. A US official described the actions as “measured, purely defensive and aimed at maintaining the ceasefire.” The strikes followed earlier “self‑defense” attacks on Iranian missile sites and minelaying vessels earlier in the week, which tested the fragile truce.
Measured, purely defensive and aimed at maintaining the ceasefire.
Iranian retaliation
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had targeted the US air base from which the Bandar Abbas strike originated, hitting it at 4:50 a.m. local time. The IRGC called the operation “a serious warning” and vowed that any repetition would trigger a harsher response.
Aggression will not go unpunished and if it is repeated, the Iranian response will be even harder.
Kuwait, a US ally, reported responding to incoming missiles and drones during Thursday morning, though Tehran did not confirm the base’s location.
- US forces strike Bandar Abbas control station, shoot down four Iranian drones.
- Iranian navy fires warning shots at four ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- IRGC targets a US air base in retaliation for the Bandar Abbas attack.
Strait of Hormuz shipping incident
Around 00:35 a.m. local time, Iranian naval forces intercepted four vessels attempting to cross the Strait without coordinating with authorities. After the ships ignored a first warning, warning shots were fired, forcing them to turn back. Iranian state media also reported that an American tanker was compelled to reverse course following similar actions.
Regional spillover and peace talks
In a separate incident, Hezbollah launched two drones at a military zone in northern Israel near the Lebanon border. One drone killed 20‑year‑old IDF Sergeant Rotem Yanai as she ran for cover; two reservists were wounded. The episode underscores the breadth of the 90‑day multi‑front conflict that has drawn in the United States, Israel and Iran. Ceasefire negotiations continue but have so far made no visible breakthrough, leaving the Gulf region on edge. According to initial intelligence, one of the US strikes may have targeted Brigadier General Ali Azmaei, the new commander of the IRGC navy, though this remains unconfirmed.
