Middle East flashpoint: Iran’s latest attacks on US forces – what’s confirmed

Reports circulating across Iranian and regional media allege a series of strikes and counterstrikes involving Iranian forces and US positions in the Middle East, though several claims have been disputed by American officials.

A news channel linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that a petrochemical facility belonging to the South Pars gas complex in Asaluyeh was bombed, according to Iran International.

Separately, reports claimed that two “violating vessels” in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked while attempting to pass through the waterway. No further details were provided on the type of ships, the extent of damage, or possible casualties.

Iranian state-affiliated outlets also published claims that US vessels near the Strait of Hormuz were targeted by missiles and drones launched by Iranian forces. However, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that Iranian media reports claiming an attack on a US warship in the Strait of Hormuz were false.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, as cited by Iran International, further claimed that a US F-16 fighter jet entered airspace over the Persian Gulf and was subjected to Iranian air defence systems, after which it reportedly retreated. This claim has not been independently verified.

Additional Iranian reports said drone strikes targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, while the Nour News website listed what it described as initial retaliatory actions, including a missile strike on the Al-Harir base in Iraq and the destruction of a US radar installation in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Overall, Iranian sources claimed that the IRGC carried out two waves of operations targeting 18 “important” US military facilities at Al Salem and Ahmed Al-Jaber air bases in Kuwait, as well as Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. The strikes were carried out by the IRGC Air Force and Navy in response to what were described as US attacks on Iranian positions in southern Iran, including areas near Bandar Abbas. Twelve ballistic missile strikes were launched at the locations of US fighter jets F-35, F-15, and F-16 at Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan. The statement claims that the targets were “destroyed.”

Later reports suggested an Iranian official contacted US President Donald Trump requesting an end to the bombing campaign, though Iranian authorities have denied this information.

By Jeyhun Aghazada