Iran attacks Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan in retaliation for US strikes

President Donald Trump says Iran will “pay the price†for taking “too long to negotiate a dealâ€, after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for attacks on American military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian ports and islands in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement carried by state media on Wednesday, the IRGC said it launched drone attacks on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, as well as a long-range missile strike on an airbase in Azraq, Jordan.

It said it attacked 21 US targets and destroyed four of them, including an F-35 fighter jet hangar at the base in Jordan.

It warned that its forces remain fully prepared to deliver a “crushing and decisive†response to any US military actions and that Washington would bear full responsibility for the consequences of further escalation.

The latest flare-up comes after the US military attacked Qeshm Island and ports along the Iranian coast in the Strait of Hormuz after blaming Iran for downing a US Apache helicopter on Tuesday.

Following this exchange of strikes, President Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran's military is “a complete and total messâ€, claiming their navy and air force no longer exist.

“The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD,†he wrote. Trump also said a US naval blockade has left Iran “doing ZERO business†and “quickly becoming a FAILED NATIONâ€.

He accused Tehran of stalling on a deal. “They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them,†he wrote. “Now they will have to pay the price.â€

A day earlier, Trump had said the two sides were just two or three days away from a deal.

Al Jazeera's Tohid Asadi said Iranian officials were unmoved by the rhetoric.

“Iranians are dancing to the same old tune,†he said, noting Tehran sees its own strikes as a demonstration of strength. Asadi explained that Iran remains deeply skeptical of prolonged diplomacy. “Iranians are saying they are not interested in drawn-out talks while this cloud of mistrust exists,†he said.

 

Sirens in Bahrain, Kuwait

Iran's attacks prompted air raid alarms in Bahrain and Kuwait. In Jordan, the military said it intercepted and shot down five missiles, adding that the operation “resulted in the fall of shrapnel without any human injuries or material damageâ€.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in the US, said Iran's swift response to Washington's attacks signalled a new doctrine.

“They believe they have to respond proportionately, but very harshly and swiftly, against any American attack. Because otherwise, a new normal is established, one in which the United States can strike at Iran with more or less impunity,†he said.

The Iranians, he said, were making clear that any attack on them would be responded to, regardless of its size and scope.

“But at the end of the day, every time these different types of events have occurred, the sense I have gotten from both sides is that their confidence and their trust in the ability of reaching a deal is starting to diminish,†he added.

 

The new round of strikes came a day after Iran and Israel exchanged fire in their most serious escalation since a ceasefire took effect in April. The war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, and has shaken the global economy and driven up the cost of fuel and food.

Progress towards a peace deal remains slow, complicated further by Israel's intensifying campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said that despite the latest strikes, neither side wanted a return to full-scale war.

“Whether the Americans are going to absorb this latest retaliation from the Iranians and end their operation or whether there will be new attacks will become clear in the next few hours,†he said.

“But the understanding is that both sides would like to go back to negotiations, even though the Iranians say they don't trust any American initiative with regards to peace.â€