US launches fresh airstrikes on Iran after deadly attack on American troops

Dubai: The United States launched a fresh wave of airstrikes on Iran early Sunday, saying the attacks were intended to "swiftly punish" Iran's Revolutionary Guard after a drone and missile strike in Jordan killed two American service members, left another missing and injured four others.

According to US Central Command, the latest operation targeted facilities linked to Iran's military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of reducing Tehran's ability to disrupt one of the world's most strategically important oil shipping routes.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that an area near Sirik in southern Hormozgan province, overlooking the Strait of Hormuz, was struck at around 1:30 a.m. local time, citing local authorities.

The strikes came just hours after the US military confirmed its first troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the early days of the conflict. The Pentagon has not released the identities of the fallen service members or provided additional details about the attack.

Since the conflict began, 16 US service members have been killed, and more than 430 have been wounded, according to American military officials.

Drone strike reported near Irbil

Violence also spread into neighbouring Iraq, where a drone struck a base belonging to the Kurdistan Freedom Party, an Iranian Kurdish dissident group, near Irbil early Sunday.

Rebaz Sharifi, a military official with the group, said eight fighters were wounded in the attack.

Residents in Irbil also reported hearing explosions as air defense systems responded to incoming drones.

The Kurdish region has experienced multiple drone attacks over the past four days, coinciding with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's recent visit to Washington and the broader escalation between Washington and Tehran.

No group claimed responsibility for the latest strike, though Iran and Iran-backed militias have previously targeted locations in Iraq's Kurdish region, where both US forces and Iranian Kurdish opposition groups are based.

Iran warns of "unforgettable lessons"

Minutes before the United States announced the latest American troop deaths, Iran's supreme leader warned that the US would face "unforgettable lessons" if attacks on the Islamic Republic continued.

The remarks, broadcast on Iranian state television and attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, also described President Donald Trump's signature as "worthless and invalid."

Iran also announced that it was suspending its commitments under the interim agreement reached about a month ago to help bring an end to the conflict.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television that the United States had violated the agreement and that Iran was "no longer implementing them."

There was no immediate indication that diplomatic mediation efforts had resumed.

Strait of Hormuz remains at the center of conflict

The latest military exchanges have further intensified the battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime corridor for global energy supplies.

The widening conflict has increasingly threatened civilian infrastructure, including desalination plants that provide drinking water across the Gulf region, while raising fresh concerns about global energy markets.

Regional attacks continue

Saturday saw significant damage in Kuwait after Iranian strikes hit a desalination plant and an oil facility, according to Kuwaiti authorities and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

It marked the second attack on a desalination facility in two days in the Gulf nation, which relies on desalination for around 90 per cent of its drinking water.

Several people were injured at the oil facility, while a fire at the desalination plant forced multiple power generation units offline.

The Kuwait Fire Force said several firefighters and a worker were injured while tackling separate fires triggered by the attacks.

Kuwait temporarily closed its airspace due to missile threats, while Kuwait Airways rescheduled several flights.

Elsewhere, Iraq said it intercepted attack drones over Irbil. Jordan reported shooting down Iranian missiles, and air raid sirens sounded repeatedly in Bahrain and parts of Saudi Arabia.

The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, accused Iran of committing war crimes by targeting civilian infrastructure and essential public facilities.