Explosions reported in Iran's Bandar Abbas
Tehran, July 9
Explosions were heard in coastal areas of Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas on Thursday afternoon, Iranian media reported.
The sounds, which mainly occurred at around 1400 hrs local time (1030 GMT) along the city's southern coast, were likely the result of an exchange of fire in parts of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Mehr news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said three IRGC soldiers from Khuzestan province were killed as a result of a US strike on Thursday morning.
Bahrain and Kuwait reported on Thursday that their air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed Iranian aerial attacks.
The Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) said in a statement that Iran continued what it described as a "systematic hostile approach" through missile and drone attacks targeting civilians in the kingdom, Xinhua news agency reported.
It stated that all BDF units are at the highest levels of readiness and preparedness to protect the country, urging the public to avoid approaching or handling any unfamiliar or suspicious objects resulting from the attacks.
The BDF stressed that the deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.
In a statement on social media platform X, the General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces said the military intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 10 drones before dawn, with debris causing material damage in several locations and injuring one person, who is in stable condition.
Air raid sirens sounded across the country early Thursday, and explosive ordnance disposal teams had been deployed to clear remnants of the interception operations.
Separately, Kuwait's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Iranian attacks as "a flagrant violation" of Kuwait's sovereignty, "a direct threat" to its security and stability, and "a serious breach" of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
US Central Command said earlier that its forces had completed an additional round of strikes to degrade Iran's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the second consecutive day of such action.
US forces struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defence systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along Iran's coastline, the command said.
Iran's IRGC and army said they struck US military bases and facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.
The new clashes came as Iran and the United States were holding negotiations to reach a final agreement within 60 days in line with a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who follows geopolitics, I'm shocked by the scale of these strikes - 90 targets in one day? And the IRGC soldiers killed were from Khuzestan, which has a significant Arab population. This feels like the US is exploiting ethnic tensions. The MoU negotiations seem like a facade now. 🌍
My heart goes out to the civilians in Bahrain and Kuwait who are caught in this crossfire. Iran targeting civilian areas is unacceptable, but so is the US bombing Iranian infrastructure. Both sides need to stop this madness. India should call for an immediate ceasefire through diplomatic channels. 🙏
I think we're missing the bigger picture here. The US is striking Iranian targets while claiming to defend commercial shipping, but who gave them the right to bomb a sovereign nation's coastline? And Iran retaliates by hitting US bases in Gulf states. This is a dangerous cycle of violence that hurts everyone, especially the Gulf economies that our diaspora relies on.
While I condemn any attacks on civilians, we must remember that Iran's actions are a response to years of US sanctions and aggression. The Biden administration talks about diplomacy but keeps bombing. India should leverage its good relations with both sides to mediate. Our Chabahar port project in Iran is now at risk! 😠
I'm appalled by the Bahrain Defence Force calling Iran's attacks a "systematic hostile approach" - what about the systematic destruction the US has caused in Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Iran? Two wrongs don't make a right, but the hypocrisy is staggering. India should stay out of this and focus on protecting our citizens in the Gulf.