US Strikes Iranian Missile Sites; Iran, UAE, Jordan Report Attacks

The United States conducted strikes against two Iranian missile launch sites on Larak Island, which were reportedly being prepared to launch naval mines into the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the first US military action against Iran in a month. Following the US strike, Iranian state media reported that Iran launched missiles toward US ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and explosions were reported in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed retaliation for the US attack.

US President Donald Trump described the strikes as a limited military campaign but warned that the US would respond forcefully to further Iranian aggression. "We will hit them hard, and there will be a response," Trump stated in an interview with Fox News, adding that the US "has almost complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz and that oil prices would "plummet" once the conflict is resolved. He also reiterated his view that Iran is a "failed state" and a violent, evil nation that, if it possessed nuclear weapons, would lead to the annihilation of Israel.

Iran's military claimed the US strike was an "illusion" aimed at preventing Iran from punishing "shipping vessels that violated its instructions," asserting that such vessels were indeed punished and that US bases in the region were subsequently attacked by Iranian fire. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the attacks in Jordan and the UAE, stating that US bases in Jordan were used to launch and support the US strike, and that the Al Minhad air base in the UAE was attacked with drones. The UAE Ministry of Defense confirmed its air force engaged a drone originating from Iran.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that continuing the war is not in Iran's or the region's interests, but also warned that Iran would not stand idly by in the face of aggression. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of publicly boasting about "dragging the US administration into a war against Iran on behalf of Israel." Meanwhile, Lebanese media reported ongoing, intermittent Israeli airstrikes on villages in southern Lebanon amid escalating tensions.

In a separate development, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that a defense agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan is a "historic step" and that the three nations are working on a roadmap to expand the alliance to include other countries, describing it as complementary to NATO and not targeting any specific nation.