IRGC says missile and drone assault targeted American military facilities in response to deadly attack on Iranian forces

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says its Aerospace Force has launched a combined missile and drone operation against US military positions in Jordan, describing the strikes as retaliation for an attack on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

The operation, which the IRGC named “Punishment of the Aggressor”, was announced in a statement issued on Monday morning. According to the Iranian force, the targets included the King Hussein and Al-Azraq military bases, which host US forces.

The IRGC said the strikes focused on facilities used for technical and repair activities as well as locations where enemy fighter aircraft were deployed. It claimed the operation caused significant damage to US military assets.

Iran said the attack was carried out following an assault on Larak Island on Sunday night. The IRGC said the attack resulted in the deaths and injuries of several Iranian combatants and other Iranian nationals.

The Iranian force described the military response as necessary and lawful, warning that further attacks would be met with more powerful retaliation.

It said attacks would not weaken Iran’s position around the Strait of Hormuz and accused its adversaries of attempting to undermine the Islamic Republic’s control over the strategic waterway.

Larak Island occupies a strategic position in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Iranian authorities have consistently maintained that control of the waterway is a national security issue and that foreign powers cannot dictate how it is controlled.

According to the IRGC, Monday’s operation was carefully targeted at infrastructure supporting US military operations from Jordan. It said striking repair facilities and fighter deployment areas would affect the ability of US forces to conduct operations from the bases.

Iranian officials have for years accused Washington of attempting to challenge Tehran’s presence and influence around the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that such efforts expose what they describe as the strategic failure of the United States to weaken Iran’s position in the region.

The latest exchange is part of a much wider confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel.

Iran says the current conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched large-scale attacks against the Islamic Republic.

Tehran responded with repeated waves of missile and drone attacks directed at US and Israeli assets in the region.

The two sides later reached an understanding in Islamabad on June 17, signing what Iran refers to as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in an attempt to bring the hostilities to an end.

However, Tehran says the agreement was undermined by subsequent US attacks on southern parts of Iran, leading Iran to suspend contacts with Washington.

Iran has maintained that dialogue with the United States will not resume until Washington stops its military attacks and what Tehran describes as hostile rhetoric.

The Islamic Republic has also maintained that its military actions are justified by its inherent right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

Iran says its response has therefore focused on US and Israeli positions and military bases involved in the conflict.

The reported strikes in Jordan represent another expansion of the regional dimension of the confrontation, particularly as the Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of tension between Tehran and Washington.

The IRGC said its latest operation demonstrated Iran’s position that attacks against its territory, forces or strategic interests would be answered with military action.

It also warned that any further assault would result in what it described as more devastating retaliation.

Source: Press TV