Washington: The United States and Iran have exchanged fresh attacks across the Middle East in the most serious escalation between the two sides in weeks, raising fears of further military action and disruption to global energy supplies.
The latest escalation followed a new wave of US strikes against Iranian military targets on Tuesday. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks aimed at US military interests in several countries, including Jordan and Bahrain.
US Central Command said its forces had completed the latest strikes against targets belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, known as the IRGC. The targets included air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities and communications sites.
The US military said the strikes followed attempted attacks by the IRGC on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US service members in the region.
Iran has warned that it will respond to the US attacks. The IRGC said it had launched a ballistic missile attack against a US military base in Jordan and claimed that a large number of US forces were killed. The claim has not been independently confirmed.
Jordan confirmed that Iranian ballistic missiles entered its airspace. The Jordanian armed forces said 13 missiles entered the kingdom. Ten were intercepted and destroyed, while three fell in remote areas away from populated centres. The armed forces said no deaths or injuries had been reported.
Two US officials told Reuters that no US casualties had been reported following the Iranian attack on facilities in Jordan, although the situation remained under assessment.
Iranian state media also reported a large drone attack against a US base in Bahrain. Bahrain has reported Iranian drone activity, while Kuwait said its armed forces were responding to hostile drone activity. Claims of damage or US military casualties in these attacks have not been independently confirmed.
The renewed fighting has also caused civilian casualties inside Iran. The Iranian Red Crescent said five people were killed and about 50 were wounded at a wedding near Sirik, a coastal area in Hormozgan province. Iranian media reported that a four year old child was among those killed. Another Iranian state news agency reported 68 wounded.
Iranian authorities said the casualties were caused by a US strike. US Central Command said it was aware of the reports and said the US military does not target civilians. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain disputed.
The latest fighting is closely linked to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy routes. The US military says the strikes were carried out partly in response to Iranian threats against commercial shipping and efforts involving mine laying in the waterway.
Shipping through the strait has been severely disrupted as tensions have increased. The latest escalation followed attacks on two tankers leaving the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. The incidents have added to concerns about the safety of commercial vessels and the flow of oil from the Gulf.
Despite the disruption, significant amounts of oil are still moving through the waterway. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said about 17 million barrels of crude oil crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the highest daily flow since the conflict sharply reduced shipping through the route.
Oil prices have also risen as traders assess the risk of further disruption. Brent crude rose to about 95 dollars a barrel on Wednesday, while US crude was trading near 91 dollars. Both contracts had gained more than four dollars on Tuesday.
US officials cited by Axios also said the US military struck two Iranian government owned oil tankers during Tuesday's operation. The report could not be independently confirmed.
President Donald Trump has warned Iran that further retaliation would bring a stronger US response. Trump has also said Washington is not seeking to force Iran back to negotiations at this stage.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has previously indicated that Tehran is prepared to return to an earlier agreement if the United States also returns to its commitments. However, the latest exchange of attacks has made an immediate diplomatic breakthrough more difficult.
The renewed fighting follows a period of relative calm between the United States and Iran. The latest strikes and retaliatory attacks have once again brought the two countries into confrontation, while increasing risks for civilians, military personnel and commercial shipping across the Gulf.
The latest exchange has raised fears of further attacks as the United States and Iran continue to threaten retaliation.