In a dramatic escalation of tensions, American military forces have come under fire from a series of Iranian missile strikes aimed at U.S. bases following a joint military operation by the U.S. and Israel against Iran on Saturday.
Officials have confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that multiple Iranian missiles were intercepted as they targeted American military installations on Saturday morning.
The Qatari Ministry of Defense announced that it had successfully blocked a third wave of these attacks within its borders. Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military facility in the region.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Navy base in Bahrain was struck in a retaliatory move following the initial U.S. offensive. According to The New York Times, the missile hit the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.
Iran has pinpointed five major U.S. military bases as targets, including those located in Qatar and Bahrain. Other targeted sites include the Al-Salmiya base in Kuwait, Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, and King Hussein Air Base in Jordan, as reported by the Tehran Times.
In response to these strikes, air raid alerts have been activated in Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, heightening regional tensions.
Jordan has shot down two ballistic missiles, authorities said.
The Pentagon has bolstered air defenses in the region, including moving in a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot Systems, which are missile defense systems.
American military bases have intercepted multiple missiles on Saturday morning, two officials told the Wall Street Journal. Smoke was seen rising from the area where the US’ biggest base Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is
Smoke was also seen rising from the area where the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain is, which was confirmed to have been hit by a missile
Those systems were moved in recent weeks as the US bolstered its presence in the region.
The US also has a dozen destroyers, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, stationed in the Mediterranean.
Saturday’s strikes came after the US and Iran failed to come to a conclusion over the Middle Eastern country’s nuclear program. Officials met several times, including most recently in Switzerland on Thursday.
Last year, the Trump Administration attacked the Fordow site in Iran to hinder its nuclear program.
President Donald Trump announced the latest US strike at 2.30am from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Saturday, warning American troops could be killed due to the dangerous Operation Epic Fury.
‘Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,’ the Republican said.
‘Its menacing activities directly endanger the United States, our troops, our bases overseas, and our allies throughout the world.’
Trump detailed some of the violence Iran has perpetrated against Americans, including taking over the US embassy in Tehran and holding US citizens hostage in 1979.
President Donald Trump announced the latest US strike at 2.30am from his estate in Florida on Saturday
The US has bolstered its presence in the Middle East in the last few weeks, including moving the USS Gerald Ford to the Mediterranean from the Caribbean. The destroyer was seen earlier this week near Crete, Greece
An Israeli submarine was also seen in the Mediterranean on Saturday
‘The regime’s proxies have continued to launch countless attacks against American forces stationed in the Middle East in recent years as well as US Naval and commercial vessels in international shipping lanes,’ Trump said.
‘It’s been mass terror, and we’re not gonna put up with it any longer.’
Trump’s surprise attack infuriated Congress, as he did not seek their approval for the strike, which is a prerequisite of war, according to the US Constitution.
Many lawmakers have branded the strike ‘illegal.’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly informed the bipartisan congressional ‘Gang of 8’ intelligence heads shortly before the strikes.
However, Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky and staunch anti-Trump lawmaker, and Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, plan to force a vote next week on their Iran War Powers resolution.
The legislation would block any action taken by the US military without prior congressional approval. It’s unclear how it would, if at all, impact Trump’s ongoing military campaign.
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona tore into Trump after the president’s warning that US troops could be killed in the ongoing operation.
Iran has vowed to retaliate after the US and Israel launched an attack on the country this morning. Iranian state television broadcasted the devastation after the attack
‘We can support the democracy movement and the Iranian people without sending our troops to die,’ he wrote in a scathing post to X.
Democratic Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey stated: ‘Americans don’t want to go to war with Iran.’
‘Trump once again started a cycle of violence that has already escalated and could spiral out of control. This is unacceptable.’
Despite the homegrown irritation, Trump continues to focus on his message to Iran, telling the country to lay down their arms or face ‘certain death.’
He also threatened to ‘raze their missile industry to the ground.’
