War in the Middle East: what we know about new Iranian strikes against American bases

Iran announced on Wednesday June 10 that it had targeted American bases in the Gulf in retaliation for Washington’s strikes against Iranian targets along the Strait of Hormuz, in a new regional conflagration after the destruction of an American helicopter attributed to in Tehran.

American President Donald Trump assured Tuesday morning that he was close to a “très, très bon accord” to put an end to the hostilities opened on February 28, citing a deadline of “two to three days”. But that optimism was dampened later in the day when he announced that a US Apache helicopter had been shot down by Iran and promised an appropriate response.

L’Iran a visé des bases américaines

In Jordan, the army announced that it had destroyed five Iranian missiles which targeted the town of Azraq, where an American base is located. According to her, “there were no victims or material damage”. Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have targeted “an air base and the American military command center” of Azraq, according to an Iranian state media.

In Bahrain, the Revolutionary Guards say they have launched a “drone attack against the Fifth Fleet” American. Shortly after, the warning sirens sounded in this Gulf country. And in Kuwait, the army said it faced “hostile aerial targets” without specifying their origin.

The ideological army of the Iranian regime justified these operations by American attacks carried out at night on Jask, Sirik and the island of Qeshm, on the southern coast of Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz. These have “damaged a telecommunications tower in Sirik and destroyed two water tanks in the town”.

The United States targeted the Strait of Hormuz

Tuesday evening, the American army announced “precision strikes” against “Iranian air defense installations, ground control posts and surveillance radar sites”according to a press release from the Central Command for the Middle East (Centcom). At least three waves of missiles were launched, according to the Axios media, which cites a senior American official.

The American general staff presented these strikes as measures “en legitim defense” and in a way “proportionnée” in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters. The soldiers “were rescued safe and sound in about two hours”according to Centcom.

The aircraft was flying over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday when it was shot down by Iran, according to Donald Trump. The American president had promised retaliation and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sought to downplay the incident. “Foreign forces near our territory are constantly exposed to risks. (…) The best solution is for them to leave”he emphasized on X.

Israel bombs Iran again

After the entry into force on April 8 of a fragile ceasefire, reciprocal attacks between Iran and Israel had temporarily ceased. They resumed on Sunday and Monday, killing three people including two soldiers and injuring 15 people in Iran, according to state television. The Iranian army then announced the end of its military operation against Israel, however promising “actions plus sévères” if Israel continued its “attacks” in southern Lebanon.

Israeli bombings in Lebanon left at least 11 new dead on Tuesday, according to the authorities. For the first time since the start of clashes between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah, the Israeli army called on all residents to evacuate Tyre, including those from the Christian quarter. “The Christian quarter is now 99% empty”reported a municipal councilor to AFP. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for new attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon – which did not cause any injuries, according to the Israeli army.

No agreement has yet been reached

Donald Trump had urged both countries to stop “immédiatement” hostilities. The American head of state is seeking to get out of this unpopular conflict in the United States, which he started alongside Israel on February 28. Iran demands that any agreement with Washington to end the war in the Middle East includes the end of hostilities on the Lebanese front, where its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Israel have been clashing since March 2.

Donald Trump assured Tuesday morning that American diplomacy was in the “last efforts” with a view to concluding an agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East. According to The New York Timesit was the 37th time since March 23 that the President of the United States assured that he was close to an end to the conflict in the Gulf.