Iran claims heavy damage to 20 US military targets in Gulf
The country did not provide details on the specific locations or the extent of the alleged damage.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday (5 March) claimed it had inflicted "significant damage" on 20 United States military targets across Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The force said its attacks had struck American military facilities in the three Gulf states as part of Iran's ongoing retaliation in the escalating regional conflict, reports Al Jazeera.
However, the IRGC did not provide details on the specific locations or the extent of the alleged damage.
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There was also no immediate confirmation from US or Gulf authorities regarding the claim.
The reported strikes come amid intensifying hostilities in the region following the joint US–Israel offensive against Iran, which triggered a series of Iranian missile and drone attacks targeting American assets and allied infrastructure across the Gulf.
Earlier on Thursday, the IRGC announced that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most vital shipping lanes, would be closed only to vessels from the United States, Israel, Europe and their Western allies.
According to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, the force said that "based on international laws and resolutions, in times of war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have the right to control the passage through the Strait of Hormuz."
"If vessels belonging to the US, Israel, Europe and their supporters are observed, they will certainly be hit," the IRGC further warned.
The force also announced on the same day that they had hit a US tanker in the northern part of the Gulf and the vessel was on fire. However, there was no immediate confirmation of the incident either.
