US launches strikes to 'punish' Iran over killing of troops

TEHRAN

The United States said airstrikes on July 19 aimed to “punish” Iran over the first U.S. military deaths since renewed hostilities with the Islamic Republic.

Iran rapidly announced its own retaliation, saying two U.S. bases in Kuwait were targeted in response to more than a week of intensifying attacks, which Tehran said included strikes on an airport, a railway station and bridges.

A preliminary deal aimed at ending the war has collapsed as the foes fight to break the deadlock over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway key to the world’s oil supply.

The Iranian army announced on July 19 it targeted two U.S. bases in Kuwait with drones, hitting an ammunition depot at Camp Udairi and Patriot radar and air surveillance systems at the Ali Al Salem Air Base.

Tehran had also launched fresh strikes in Jordan, where the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said two service members were killed on July 17 as they “defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks.”

It said another service member was still missing in action.

Those deaths brought to 16 the confirmed number of U.S. military fatalities since U.S.-Israeli strikes started the war on Feb. 28.

Meanwhile, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who took over from his father after he was killed in the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes, vowed to teach the Americans an “unforgettable lesson,” in a statement carried by state TV.

He said the ongoing attacks on his country “once again demonstrated to everyone the worthlessness of the American president’s signature.”

“Now that the American enemy seeks to incite war and bear its most serious consequences, it should know that the dear Iranian nation and the axis of resistance have unforgettable lessons to offer it,” he added.

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Khamenei, warned that Tehran would resume “full-scale offensive operations” if U.S. strikes continued in the coming days.