TEHRAN/AMMAN/MANAMA, July 17– Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said its aerospace forces on Friday launched a “heavy and surprise” retaliatory attack on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, while Jordan and Bahrain said they intercepted Iranian aerial attacks amid escalating regional tensions.
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said the attack in Qatar was aimed at “punishing the aggressor” and the U.S. Army.
It said its forces struck and completely destroyed a long-range radar system and several aerial refueling tanker aircraft at the U.S. base, and seriously damaged some others.
The IRGC warned that the United States and countries hosting U.S. bases in West Asia must know that crossing Iran’s red lines and attacking the country’s people and civilian infrastructure will be met with a “very harsh” response, noting that if the “enemy” continues such actions, more “crushing” responses will be on the way.
In a separate statement, the IRGC accused the U.S. military of using its bases in Jordan on Thursday night to carry out “major war crimes” by attacking Iran’s civilian targets, including bridges, residential areas and a water pumping station in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
It said that its forces subsequently targeted, in two phases, U.S. fighter and aerial refueling tanker aircraft at a U.S. base in Jordan with ballistic missiles and drones, destroying or seriously damaging some of them.
Also on Friday, Jordan’s military said in a statement that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed three Iranian missiles after they entered the kingdom’s airspace.
It said no casualties or property damage were reported, adding that the armed forces remain on high alert and will respond to any threat in accordance with established rules of engagement.
Meanwhile, the General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) said on Friday it has intercepted new Iranian aerial attacks targeting civilians in Bahrain, according to the Bahrain News Agency.
The BDF said all its services and units remain at the highest level of readiness and full defensive preparedness to protect the kingdom. It urged the public to avoid approaching suspicious objects resulting from the attacks and to report them immediately.
The developments came amid heightened regional tensions despite a peace memorandum of understanding signed by the United States and Iran in mid-June, under which they were expected to hold negotiations within 60 days toward a final agreement.
The United States has conducted multiple rounds of strikes against Iran in recent days, while Iran has responded by launching retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases and facilities in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.
Iran’s Health Ministry said Friday that at least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 others wounded in U.S. strikes, mainly targeting southern Iranian provinces, since June 22.
Separately, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported that at least eight people were killed and 19 others wounded in U.S. strikes on the southern province of Hormozgan on Thursday night. Five bridges and a railway junction station were among the reported targets. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
