The United States bombed Iranian military facilities over the weekend, according to US Central Command (Centcom). The strikes on Iran’s Gulf coast were a response to “aggressive Iranian actions, including the downing of a US MQ-1 drone over international waters.” US fighter jets subsequently destroyed Iranian air defense systems, a ground control station, and two attack drones that posed a clear threat to ships in the region.
On Monday, Tehran struck back: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced it had attacked a US air base that was used for the assault on southern Iran. The Guard did not specify which base was hit. In Kuwait, where a large US base is located, air defenses intercepted rocket and drone attacks while sirens blared nationwide, according to the state-run Kuna news agency.
The US and Iran have been exchanging fire repeatedly since a ceasefire took effect in early April. Negotiations on a more permanent agreement are dragging on. A similar exchange of blows occurred last Thursday, described by both sides in similar terms.
The war that the US and Israel began against Iran on February 28 has killed thousands – mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It has also weighed on the global economy, as Iran effectively blocked the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, driving up energy prices.
Source: www.theguardian.com
