Iran on Wednesday launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US military targets in the Middle East, including the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the United States to “leave our region if you want to be safe.”
Iran launched the attacks after American forces launched strikes across Iran in response to the downing of an AH-64 Apache gunship.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it targeted the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the Al Azraq Air Base in Jordan. Bahrain said it intercepted several Iranian missiles and drones, while Jordan reported intercepting five missiles. Kuwait also said its air defences were engaging hostile aerial targets.
Abbas Araghchi warned the United States to “leave our region if you want to be safe,” adding that Iran would not leave attacks or threats unanswered.
At least 20,000 Iranians have lost access to drinking water after two reservoirs were struck, Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday, citing an official.
“Two concrete water-storage reservoirs with a combined capacity of 2,500 cubic meters in the Bamani district were struck by missiles and completely taken out of service,” Abdul Hamid Hamzehpour, the chief executive of the Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company, was cited as saying.
The reservoirs were responsible for providing drinking water to the town of Kouhestak and 10 surrounding villages, Hamzehpour said.
Emergency measures, including water delivery by tanker trucks and the deployment of temporary replacement pumping systems, are currently underway, Tasnim said, adding that the damage to the infrastructure is estimated at approximately 140.
“US forces began launching self-defence strikes against Iran, at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
The US forces acted on orders of US President Donald Trump, who said Iran was responsible for shooting down an American military helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and vowed a strong response. The Apache helicopter is the second crewed U.S. aircraft confirmed to have been downed during the ongoing conflict, following the loss of an F-15 fighter jet in April.
“The United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” Trump said on social media, adding that the response would be “very strong, very powerful”.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the two soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and were in stable condition after their AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters.
The US retaliated by targeting Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites along the country’s southern coast. Explosions and air defence sirens were reported in several cities, including Sirik and Qeshm Island. Iranian state television reported explosions and air defence activity along the Persian Gulf coast, including in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Sirik.
Meanwhile, explosions were reported across several locations in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, including areas near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said US strikes hit two water reservoirs, disrupting local water supplies. Air defence systems were activated in parts of southern Iran as reports of further explosions emerged.
A US official told CNN that the Trump administration believes the strikes are unlikely to derail ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict. However, the exchange of attacks has heightened concerns about a broader regional escalation.
