Seoul Gazette - US strikes Iran for first time in a month, Tehran retaliates

The US strikes resulted in "casualties," said Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, which in turn attacked US military targets in Jordan, state media reported.

The Guards "targeted technical infrastructure, maintenance facilities, and enemy fighter jet positions at the US-operated King Hussein and Al-Azraq airbases in Jordan" with ballistic missiles, causing "heavy damage," according to state TV.

The exchange of strikes came shortly after the US-Iran war hit the six-month mark, and at a time when hostilities had been subsiding.

The US said its attacks were aimed at preventing Iran from launching more sea mines into the strait, days after it announced it had completed clearing explosives from the strategic waterway.

"Earlier today, US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island," a US Central Command spokesman said, adding that Iran's Revolutionary Guards "were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz."

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has prioritized "economic warfare" over military strikes on Iran.

Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic sea lane through which one-fifth of the world's oil passed before the United States and Israel started hostilities with airstrikes on Iran on February 28.

"Last week, CENTCOM completed clearing sea mines from the strait's international shipping routes," said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command.

"US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway," he said.

Diplomatic efforts, spearheaded by mediators including Pakistan and Qatar, have tried for months to bring an end to the war to no avail.

While a ceasefire was agreed in April and a memorandum of understanding towards a final peace deal was signed in June, no agreement has been forthcoming and Washington has since declared "economic warfare" against Tehran.

A US naval counterblockade of Iranian ports is squeezing petrol supplies in Iran amid a shortfall of domestic production, as the US ramps up pressure on its foe.

The April ceasefire put an end to the most intense fighting, but sporadic attacks, mainly around the Strait of Hormuz, have dimmed the prospects of a final peace agreement.

The last US strike on Iran prior to Sunday's came on July 29 in response to "an attempted surprise attack on US forces" in the region, the US military said. Earlier in July, CENTCOM attacked Iran for 13 consecutive nights.

Throughout the war, Iran has fought back by striking US facilities and allies in the Gulf region, striking targets in Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, among others.

Its closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused pain around the world in the form of price hikes and shortages of fertilizer and energy.

Oil prices rose after news of the US strikes on Iran. A barrel of North Sea Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed back above the symbolic $90 threshold to $90.31. Its US counterpart, West Texas Intermediate, rose to $85.41.

The Iran war is deeply unpopular with the US public, with midterm elections looming in November that could overturn Republican control of Congress.

In a statement on Friday, US Senator Jack Reed criticized Trump over the war.

"Six months later, not a single objective has been achieved," said Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Indeed, he has weakened our position in the Middle East and the world significantly."

C.Park--SG