Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says 21 US military targets hit across region

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Wednesday that it launched retaliatory attacks on 21 American military targets at US air and naval bases across the region.

In a statement, the IRGC said long-range missiles destroyed four major targets at the Al-Azraq base in Jordan, including hangars housing F-35 fighter jets and a command-and-control center.

The Jordanian army said it shot down five missiles launched from Iran toward the al-Azraq area.

It added that the missiles were destroyed by air defense systems and noted that falling debris from the projectiles caused no loss of life or material damage.

The IRGC also said it launched a drone attack targeting the Ali Al Salem Base in Kuwait in response to what it described as American aggression.

The IRGC warned that its forces were fully prepared to deliver a “crushing and decisive” response to any new attack, adding that US forces would bear responsibility for the consequences.

Earlier, the IRGC also claimed that it shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Jam County in southern Bushehr province.

The developments came hours after the US launched strikes on southern Iran.

For its part, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks and said that the country's armed forces "severely targeted the US bases and assets in the region that were the origin" of the latest strikes on Iran.

In a separate statement carried by Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim, the ministry called on the regional countries, "especially those on the southern shores" of the Gulf region, to prevent the US and Israel from "using their territory and facilities for planning, executing, and supporting aggressive actions" against Tehran."The Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to exercise its inherent right to self-defense, including by targeting the origin of the attacks, as well as the bases and logistical facilities used to execute and support aggressive operations" against its territory, it added.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) later announced the completion of what it described as “self-defense” strikes against Iran.

CENTCOM said US fighter jets struck Iranian air defense systems and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.

The region has remained on edge since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and other regional countries hosting US assets.

A temporary ceasefire was reached on April 8, but negotiations later stalled amid disputes over its implementation and subsequent regional developments.