Iran launches ‘eye-for-an-eye’ operation, claims strikes on US bases in Gulf

TEHRAN: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday (local time) claimed strikes on US military bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait as part of its ongoing ‘eye-for-an-eye’ operation in response to US military strikes in Iran, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s state-affiliated Nour News Agency reported that the Iranian Army and IRGC had launched “large-scale missile and drone attacks” on “enemy bases in the region.”

Citing an Iranian military official, the news report said the operation was launched in response to the US’s continuing strikes on Iran and targeted sites identified following “enemy movements” over the past 48 hours.

BREAKING: Iran has Begun a large-scale Retaliatory Strike against U.S. Bases throughout the Middle East

Smoke is rising from the US Navy’s 5th Fleet Headquarters pic.twitter.com/LAZm1OwVey

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) July 13, 2026

In a statement, the IRGC said the first phase of the operation targeted Jordan’s Prince Hassan Airbase with missiles and drones, claiming it had set fire to “several fuel depots and ammunition storage facilities.” It said the US strikes came after an operation by the IRGC Navy to stop two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which it accused of “switching off their tracking systems, travelling illegally and endangering navigation.”

The IRGC said the second phase targeted Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Airbase, claiming its aerospace forces struck “helicopter maintenance facilities, a hangar housing a P-8 aircraft and a US military drone command-and-control centre.”

In the third phase, the IRGC claimed it had “completely destroyed” fuel tanks and Patriot air defence systems at Kuwait’s Ali Al-Salem Airbase, as well as a “strategic FPS radar system” at Ahmed Al-Jaber Airbase. The IRGC said the strikes were carried out by its aerospace forces during the third phase of its “eye-for-an-eye” operation in response to US military action against Iran, adding that the operation was continuing.

It also warned against further US involvement in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran “would not allow continued foreign military interference” in the strategic waterway. The IRGC said its retaliatory operations were continuing and that the results would be announced in subsequent statements.

BREAKING: A massive plume of black smoke is rising from Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz following heavy US airstrikes in the last hour.

A US official confirms the US military conducted heavy strikes on Iranian missile and air defense systems as well as IRGC speed boats at… pic.twitter.com/7fZSGBMe0l

— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) July 12, 2026

The development comes as US Central Command (CENTCOM) launched a major wave of offensive precision strikes across multiple locations in Iran on Sunday, targeting dozens of military installations to degrade Tehran’s capability to disrupt international maritime trade.

The operations specifically targeted Iranian military air-defence systems, coastal radar infrastructure, missile and drone launch sites, and small tactical vessels. In a notable escalation of tactical deployment, US forces utilised a multi-domain assault force comprising fighter aircraft, naval combatants, and, for the first time, both one-way attack aerial drones and one-way attack sea drones.

According to a statement released by CENTCOM, the strikes were executed to protect the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global maritime bottleneck. “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Iran does not control it,” the command stated.

The military action follows a sustained period of tension in the region, characterised by what Washington describes as Iran’s unwarranted aggression, illegal harassment, and arbitrary threats against international commercial shipping.

The United States launched a fresh round of military strikes against Iran on Sunday (local time), with US Central Command saying the operation is intended to further degrade Tehran’s ability to target civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out on the direction of the Commander in Chief to hold Iranian forces accountable.”At 5 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching more strikes against Iran to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable,” CENTCOM said. (ANI)