Iran Retaliates Against US Bases
Iran struck back at US bases across UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan after US-Israeli airstrikes, with 9 killed when protesters stormed the US consulate in Karachi. A British RAF base in Cyprus was hit by drone, while Saudi-Iran relations collapsed just 2 years after China brokered their restoration. UAE and Saudi have pulled ambassadors from Tehran as the conflict spreads beyond initial strikes.
The initial US-Israeli military operation, named "Epic Fury" by the Pentagon, included the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the strikes were preemptive, claiming knowledge of an impending Israeli action that would have precipitated a deadlier Iranian attack on US forces. Iran's "Operation Truthful Promise 4" retaliated with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting at least 27 US military installations across the region. Key facilities hit include Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US base in the Middle East, and the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The drone that struck the British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, hitting a runway, was identified as an Iranian-made Shahed-type drone, likely launched by Hezbollah. While causing minor material damage and no casualties, the attack prompted the evacuation of military families and the interception of two subsequent drones. The Cypriot president has stated the country will not be part of any military operations. In Karachi, Pakistan, violent clashes erupted as protesters, angered by the killing of Khamenei, attempted to storm the U.S. Consulate. Marine Security Guards opened fire as the outer wall was breached, resulting in multiple fatalities and dozens of injuries among the demonstrators. The protests led to the closure of all US diplomatic facilities in Pakistan. The rapidly escalating conflict has shattered the recent diplomatic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had been brokered by China in March 2023. That deal was intended to end a seven-year diplomatic freeze and reactivate a 2001 security cooperation agreement. The United States maintains a significant military footprint in the region, with approximately 40,000 troops stationed across at least 19 sites. This includes major hubs like Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, both of which were targeted in the recent Iranian strikes.
