The IRGC claimed, in a statement released by official media, to have conducted attacks on 21 targets at US air and naval bases in the region, as part of what it described as a response to previous airstrikes of facilities in southern Iran.

The statement points out that US forces attacked Iranian towns such as Jask, Sirik, and Qeshm, causing damage to civilian infrastructure, including a communications tower and water reservoirs, actions that Tehran is using to justify its military response.

The IRGC also claimed to have shot down an MQ-9 drone in Bushehr province, in southern Iran, and to have carried out operations against several US military targets in the region.

Among the targets were the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait, facilities linked to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, and the Al-Azraq air base in Jordan, where, according to the Iranian version of events, F-35 fighter jet hangars and command and control centers were attacked.

This escalation comes amid heightened regional tensions, marked by exchanges of attacks between Iran and the United States, as well as by the concern of Gulf countries regarding the impact of the hostilities on their territory and security.

jdt/iff/oda/fm