Iran responds to Hormuz violations, targets UAE-linked vessels
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy announced on Tuesday that it targeted two supertankers in the Strait of Hormuz after they violated maritime navigation regulations.
Reports stated that two UAE-linked supertankers, Mombasa and Al-Bahiya, turned off their navigation systems in an attempt to travel through a restricted route, threatening maritime security, and were subsequently targeted as a result of the move.
The supertankers were registered in Liberia and managed by the Abu Dhabi-based ADNOC Logistics and Services, both of which were targeted while traveling near Omani waters in the southern corridor of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran repeatedly warned vessels to follow authorized navigation routes and comply with instructions given by Iranian maritime authorities.
On Tuesday, Iran announced that it targeted the US-operated Juffair base in Bahrain with missiles and one-way attack drones as part of its response to Washington’s aggressions.
The IRGC said weapons support depots, a satellite communications center, and accommodation facilities used by US forces at the base were neutralized.
This operation was the first phase of Iran’s response to the renewed US attacks on coastal military positions and other sites located in southern Iran.
The IRG stated that these retaliatory operations will progress as the escalation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continues.
In a later statement, the IRG announced that its Aerospace Force and Navy targeted facilities linked to the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The statement says that missile and drone attacks ignited a fuel storage facility while neutralizing a Patriot air defense radar, the fleet’s air control radar, and a C-RAM radar system.
The IRG further stated that the command and monitoring center for unmanned guided boats was destroyed during the operation.
Iran’s retaliation came amid continued US war of aggression on Iran, with Washington claiming its strikes aim to weaken Tehran’s influence over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran, however, has vowed to defend its sovereignty and regional interests despite US pressure.