US-Iran War escalates: Tehran claims major blow to American air power, says several jets destroyed while serious damage to many more
Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they destroyed several US refuelling aircraft and fighter jets, while inflicting serious damage on many others.
Iran has claimed that it has damaged US jets. Representational image
Iran on Friday claimed that it targeted several US military aircraft in Jordan with ballistic missiles and drones, stated media reports. Tehran described the attack as a response to overnight US strikes that hit multiple sites inside the country and reportedly left at least eight people dead. Earlier, Jordan's military said it had shot down three Iranian missiles and reported no injuries or property damage.
In a statement, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they have destroyed "several US refuelling aircraft and fighter jets" and caused "serious damage to many more." The group also appealed to Jordanians to act against American interests in the country, accusing the US of being "aggressive" and "anti-Islamic."
Gulf nations targeted
The IRGC said they had also attacked a US special operations command centre at al-Tanf in Syria in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr, state media reported.
The US military in February said it has completed a withdrawal from the al-Tanf base, positioned at the tri-border confluence of Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Syria has sought to avoid being drawn into the regional conflict that has engulfed neighboring countries, including Lebanon, where Hezbollah has fought Israeli forces, and Iraq, where Iran-backed armed groups have launched drone and rocket attacks.
Explosions were also heard in Irbil and Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region as air defences targeted incoming fire. The attack apparently targeted the Iranian Kurdish dissident group Komala, killing at least nine people and wounding others, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Iran did not immediately claim the attack but has targeted Komala in the past.
Tehran also launched new missile attacks against US-allied nations in the Middle East, including Qatar, and damaged a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait -- something crucial in the small, desert nation.
War escalates
The month-old ceasefire has crumbled, with the US and Iran locked in a series of back-and-forth strikes amid a growing fight over the strait.
The US has intensified its strikes on Iran, hitting additional bridges, electrical infrastructure and a major port site as President Donald Trump seeks to force Tehran to ease its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's southern coastal regions faced fresh US strikes, with explosions reported in cities including Ahvaz, Qeshm, Bushehr and Bandar-e Lengeh, damaging infrastructure on a larger scale than previous attacks.
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