‘Harsh lesson’: Iran threatens nations assisting US military as retaliatory strikes escalate

Tehran: Iran’s armed forces command pledged on Wednesday to persist with strikes until the United States "regrets and repents," threatening any nation assisting American forces: "Offensive operations will continue as a harsh lesson for the Americans, until they regret and repent for their crimes. The continuation of evil U.S. actions in the region will be met with an even harsher, wider, and more destructive response, and any country cooperating with the American military will bear the consequences."

Tehran launched retaliatory strikes on Wednesday targeting American interests across Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan following promises of "severe punishment" for recent US air raids, including one that Iranian emergency workers said killed four individuals at a wedding celebration.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted US Marine Corps base Camp Titin in Jordan with an "intense ballistic missile attack" early Wednesday, according to Iranian state news outlet Tasnim.

Jordanian military officials reported intercepting 10 Iranian ballistic missiles and did not confirm any casualties or direct impacts on the US facility situated on the Gulf of Aqaba, near the Israeli and Saudi Arabian borders. Three additional missiles landed in uninhabited terrain, officials added.

Hostile missile and drone activity was also recorded in Kuwait, where defence forces stated they were countering Iranian aggression, whilst reporters in Bahrain heard air raid sirens sounding early Wednesday morning.

This latest escalation follows US strikes on Iranian positions on Sunday — the first confirmed operations in weeks — after which Iranian forces targeted US personnel in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, two crude oil tankers were hit in unattributed attacks.

Further US strikes were carried out on Tuesday, with Iranian state media reporting explosions in southern coastal areas along the strategic Strait of Hormuz, on a Gulf island, and at an airfield in southern Kerman province.

The Iranian Red Crescent reported that shrapnel from a US missile hit a residential structure hosting a wedding party in Kuhestak, killing four people, including a child, and injuring over 50 others.

State news agency IRNA reported that "four projectiles hit areas within the counties of Chabahar and Konarak," without detailing the extent of any damage.

Addressing queries on whether the US military had received credible reports of civilian casualties from Tuesday's operations, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins remarked that "the US military never targets civilians, unlike the IRGC."

CENTCOM previously stated via X that the strikes were conducted in response to "recent attempted attacks by (the Revolutionary Guards) against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region."

US President Donald Trump asserted the "large and powerful" operations were conducted "in retaliation for the Iranians' failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait" and "the Iranians shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our Military Base in Jordan."

Earlier, Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi warned on X that Washington "will regret its new attacks," declaring that "severe punishment awaits the aggressors."

Following six months of hostilities, both nations remain locked in a stalemate, with Iran enforcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz whilst the United States maintains a counter-blockade of Iranian ports.

Washington stated its forces struck Iranian rocket units on Larak Island on Sunday to prevent Tehran from mining critical maritime channels.

The broader regional conflict broke out in late February following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A fragile truce between Washington and Tehran unravelled following repeated assaults on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway previously carrying one-fifth of global crude supplies.

Greek maritime security firm Marisks noted Tuesday that two oil tankers were hit by "unknown projectiles" late Monday.

One incident had previously been confirmed by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency, which stated that no casualties or environmental damage were reported.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian affirmed on Tuesday that Iran would reciprocate any US step to rejoin negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict.

However, he cautioned that a return by the United States to "a policy of pressure and threats could derail the path of diplomacy."