US launches 'heavy retaliatory' airstrikes strikes on Iran

The United States has launched what it described as "heavy retaliatory" airstrikes against Iran, targeting dozens of military sites after Tehran allegedly attempted ballistic missile attacks on American forces in the Middle East.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were carried out late Wednesday in response to Iran's attempted missile attacks on US military bases in Jordan and American vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.

According to CENTCOM, the operation lasted about an hour and struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets, including military command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance systems, air defence positions and maritime assets.

The US military said all Iranian missiles launched during Tuesday's attack were successfully intercepted, preventing any reported damage to American forces.

US President Donald Trump defended the strikes, saying Washington was responding after repeated attacks on its military personnel.

"We're going to be hitting them very hard because it's our turn to hit them. They know it's coming," Trump told reporters at the White House before the operation.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had targeted a US air base and a command centre in Jordan in retaliation for what it called "acts of aggression" by the United States. The IRGC also claimed responsibility for attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the vessels of ignoring security warnings.

The latest exchange marks another sharp escalation in the nearly five-month conflict between Washington and Tehran.