Iran says it will pursue ‘eye for an eye’ as US attack near Iraq border kills two
Iran has said that it will pursue “an eye for an eye” defence doctrine, as the US attacked Iranian territory for a 12th consecutive day and President Donald Trump threatened further bombardment of civilian infrastructure.
Iranian state media said on Thursday that a US attack had killed two people at Shalamcheh, on Iran’s border with Iraq. At least 11 others were wounded in the attack.
State media reported that two US missiles hit Bushehr, which is home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear plant.
US Central Command confirmed a 12th consecutive night of strikes, stating that it aimed to "further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters".
Trump said that each time Iran attacked a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz – the vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes – the US would bomb Iranian civilian infrastructure.
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“Any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT," Trump wrote on social media.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said on X: “Our defense doctrine is clear: eye for an eye. Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response.”
He added: “Those who contribute to such aggression, whatever the kind of support, will also be considered as legitimate targets.”
Elsewhere in the region, Jordan and Kuwait reported intercepting strikes on Thursday morning, as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it was targeting US assets in both countries.
"The armed forces' retaliatory attacks will continue as long as the US attacks on the country's infrastructure and coastal areas continue," Iran's army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said, as quoted by state television.
'Houthis were smart'
The Iranian army announced that a number of US facilities in Kuwait were targeted by "destructive drones".
They said this included targeting ammunition and logistics depots at Camp Doha, fuel tanks at the Ali al-Salem base and an ammunition depot at Camp Arifjan.
In the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC said it stopped three oil tankers from transiting on Thursday.
"The Strait of Hormuz is under our control... and any ship that is deceived by the US and intends to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran will suffer the same fate," the IRGC said.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have struck two Saudi Arabian oil tankers, days after joining the conflict and declaring a blockade on Saudi Arabian ports.
The Houthis said they conducted missile and drone strikes on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea overnight, the Encelia and the Layla.
UKMTO, the British naval security monitor, said the master of a tanker reported being hit by an unknown projectile about 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia.
It said the projectile caused a fire that the crew was fighting.
Saudi Arabia confirmed the Encelia had been struck. It did not comment on the other tanker.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said the Houthis had been "suckered" by Tehran into attacking shipping in the Red Sea.
“The Houthis largely were smart and stayed out of all this throughout the conflict, but they now apparently have gotten themselves suckered into this, going after Saudi Arabia and their ships," Rubio said.
"I hope they will de-escalate, because I think the Houthis, frankly, got snookered into this thing by the Iranians."
Oman said on Thursday that it was working to resume talks between the Houthis and Riyadh to de-escalate the situation.
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