US and Iran trade strikes as ceasefire comes under growing strain

Iran’s IRGC says it attacked sites linked to the US military in Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman after latest US bombardment.The United States has conducted a new wave of strikes against Iran, prompting retaliatory attacks by Iranian forces across the Gulf region in another escalation that further undermined an already fragile truce.In the early hours of Monday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the US hit dozens of targets at several locations across Iran.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why the Iran-US ceasefire is falling apartlist 2 of 3Iraqi PM to meet US President Trump in Washington to deepen strategic tieslist 3 of 3Iran says almost a dozen ‘enemy projectiles’ targeted Qeshm Islandend of listIt said US forces struck “military air-defense systems, coastal radar sites and missile and drone capabilities and small boats” using fighter aircraft, naval vessels, one-way attack aerial drones and, for the first time, one-way attack sea drones.It said the operation was intended to degrade “Iran’s ability to continue attacking international shipping flowing through the Strait of Hormuz”.Iranian officials said US strikes hit eight cities in Khuzestan province, killing one security guard and injuring four people at a water station in Mahshahr.Iranian forces responded hours later with attacks on US military targets in several Gulf countries.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a long-range FPS air surveillance radar in Bahrain, a vessel detection radar system in Oman and a US Army surface-to-surface missile base in Kuwait.The IRGC claimed the strike in Kuwait destroyed two missile launchers and nearby storage facilities, causing significant damage.Bahrain issued several alerts urging residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe location, while Jordanian authorities said four missiles that entered the country’s airspace from Iran were intercepted.Monday’s attacks followed a separate round of US strikes on Saturday, when the US said it hit about 140 targets across Iran in retaliation for IRGC attacks on commercial shipping and Tehran’s announcement that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed.