12.07.2026 20:01
The US military launched a large-scale air operation targeting Iranian territory in the evening hours. While American warplanes heavily bombarded the critical Qeshm Island and the port city of Bandar Abbas on Iran's southern coast, the Tehran administration responded to this move by striking the US base in Kuwait.
Tensions in the Middle East have once again escalated. The United States (US) military has launched large-scale airstrikes targeting the strategically important Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas port area in southern Iran.
According to initial reports from the region, military bases and logistical points have come under heavy fire from warplanes.
WARPLANE ACTIVITY IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ
The operation, coordinated by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), is reported to have targeted missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) facilities near the Strait of Hormuz. Local sources report successive violent explosions and thick smoke rising from Bandar Abbas city and Qeshm Island.
IRAN RETALIATES: US BASE IN KUWAIT TARGETED
Iran responded swiftly to the US attacks. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that, in retaliation for the strikes, it launched missile and kamikaze drone attacks on military bases in the region, particularly in Kuwait, where US troops are stationed. Three ballistic missiles are reported to have directly hit US ATACMS ground-to-ground missile systems.
WHY IS QESHM IMPORTANT?
With its critical location in the Strait of Hormuz, Qeshm Island lies at the heart of global energy security. Militarily considered an "unsinkable aircraft carrier," the island is regarded as the heart of Iran's naval defense strategy due to its underground bunkers, missile systems, and naval bases.