Iran targeted American military facilities in the Middle East after the US launched more strikes on Iranian sites near the Strait of Hormuz. And in Lebanon, Israeli forces attacked a southern town, after Israel agreed to withdraw some troops from the area.
A timeline of the recent escalation:
Iran attacks a Singapore-flagged container ship near the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump describes the move as a “foolish violation” of the initial agreement to end the war.
The US military conducts strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites.
The US detects “a couple of drones” as Iran says it launched strikes on American military targets in the Middle East, but those drones didn’t reach their target, a US official says.
Hours later, the US military conducts more strikes against Iranian targets “in direct response to continued Iranian aggression,” according to the US Central Command.
Iran then launches missiles and drones at US facilities in neighboring countries including Kuwait and Bahrain, Reuters reports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying. There have been no US casualties or major damage to the facilities, Reuters reports, citing a US official.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, airstrikes hit the southern town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, a day after Israel signed an agreement to withdraw troops from some areas. The Israeli military said on Saturday it killed Hezbollah militants in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon and dismantled a rocket launcher, according to a Telegram statement.
Why it matters: The attacks are straining a US-Iran agreement signed just earlier this month. The agreement was meant to expand on the ceasefire and resume normal maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has threatened more military action if Tehran continues to launch strikes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps argued that the US strikes violate the ceasefire and “will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes,” reported Reuters.
