Iran's IRGC claims attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan

Tehran, July 15 (IANS) Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday that it conducted retaliatory strikes against the US military facilities in Bahrain and Jordan, attacking their military infrastructure, aircraft shelters, key command centres and strategic drones, local media reported. 

In a statement, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force targetted the US military base at al-Azraq in Jordan in response to renewed US aggression against Iran. The attack destroyed shelters which have US F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets, and several MQ-9 strategic drones stationed at the base, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

The IRGC claimed that a significant amount of US military attacks against Iran were conducted from American bases in Jordan. It urged people of Jordan to end the presence of US forces in their country and prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for attacks against Islamic nations and the Palestinian people. The IRGC also urged Jordanians to take up every opportunity to “destroy American institutions and expel the occupying US army from Jordan."

In a separate statement, the IRGC said its navy attacked the US Fifth Fleet’s facilities in Bahrain, targetting the NSI management centre, large warehouses sheltering military parts and equipment, the command and control centre, and fuel storage facilities.

It said that the strikes were conducted in response to the US deploying its naval forces in the Indian Ocean and blocking maritime routes under the pretext of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, IRNA reported.

"The enemy should know that now that its pirates have blocked the Indian Ocean route for the export of the region’s oil and gas to the world — a move that endangers the interests of America’s economic rivals — it must expect other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies to be closed as well," the IRGC said while adding that the region's oil and gas exports will either be available to everyone or to none.

The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying oil and liquefied natural gas exports from major Gulf producers to international markets.

Meanwhile, the Bahrain Defence Force said on Wednesday that Iran continues to carry out attacks targeting civilians in Bahrain. It said that the Bahrain Defence Force’s air defence systems confronted, intercepted, and destroyed a number of Iranian aerial attacks on Wednesday morning.

In a post shared on X, Bahrain Defence Force stated, "The General Command of the Bahrain Defence Force announces that Iran is persisting in its systematic hostile approach through its heinous attacks targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain."

The Bahrain's General Command said that all its branches and units maintain the highest levels of readiness and are prepared to defend the country. It urged people to exercise caution, avoid approaching any foreign or suspicious objects resulting from the remnants of the brutal Iranian aggression, and report them immediately.

"The General Command affirms that personnel from the Royal Field Engineering Unit are fully prepared to safely handle these objects using technical expertise, thereby ensuring the safety of all citizens and residents. The General Command emphasizes that the deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law," read the statement.

--IANS

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