Iran launches missiles and drones at US targets after American strikes

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched missiles and drones towards US targets in the region early Wednesday after American forces carried out strikes on Iranian military sites.

The escalation followed US attacks on Iranian air defence and radar systems near the Strait of Hormuz after the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter earlier this week.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the IRGC confirmed the operation against American targets as tensions between Washington and Tehran sharply intensified.

Explosions were reported in the Iranian cities of Sirik and Minab, as well as on Qeshm Island, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

However, officials later said there had been no direct strike on Minab itself. Iran’s Mehr News Agency quoted the governor of Minab as saying “no attack on the city has been reported,” adding that the sounds came from coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran would respond to any military action by Washington.

“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination. Our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe,” Araghchi wrote on X.