AP
Dubai
A series of unclaimed airstrikes hitting Iran right after the US announced it had finished its own attacks has once again raised questions about who else might be targeting the Islamic Republic.
The strikes occurred on Thursday, just as Iran prepared to bury its late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hitting multiple areas across southern Iran.
The country’s theocratic government has not directly blamed anyone for the attacks, though one lawmaker did issue a warning to the United Arab Emirates for allegedly supporting the US campaign against Iran.
Gulf Arab states, which have been repeatedly targeted by Iran since the war began on February 28, did not immediately comment on Friday regarding the new strikes. The attacks come as they and the US continue to insist that the Strait of Hormuz – a critical waterway for global energy markets – must remain open and free to international shipping.
Iran, however, claims the strait must now be under its sole control and is demanding that vessels pay fees to Tehran, despite the world considering it an international waterway for decades. Before the war, about a fifth of all global oil and natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz. While Iran’s grip on the waterway during the conflict triggered a global energy crisis, oil prices have since dropped sharply from their wartime highs of $120 a barrel.
Two days after declaring that the interim memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran was “over,” US President Donald Trump reiterated on Friday that the ceasefire between the two nations has officially ended.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said that while the United States has agreed to continue peace talks because Iran requested them, the ceasefire itself remains completely terminated despite the ongoing discussions.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks’. We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!” Trump posted.
The collapse of the truce follows a volatile week where three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire. The maritime incidents prompted the US to launch retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets, which Iran countered on Thursday with strikes targeting US military installations in neighbouring Gulf states.
Israel, which also took part in the war against Iran, has not claimed responsibility for any of the recent attacks.
According to the US military’s Central Command, a round of strikes hitting roughly 90 targets concluded at around 6.30 am local Iran time on Thursday. Shortly after, Iranian news outlets and state media reported a new wave of airstrikes and explosions. These hits targeted the Bushehr and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, the cities of Ahvaz and Chabahar, and various other areas.
A US defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that there had been no new American strikes since their last round ended on Thursday morning.
Iran responded to Thursday’s strikes by launching a broader volley of attacks across the Middle East, targeting Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Qatar. Missile alert sirens sounded across all four nations, forcing residents to seek shelter, and one person was reportedly injured in Kuwait as air defence systems intercepted the incoming fire.
Immediately following the Iranian attack, UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan travelled to Kuwait to meet with the nation’s ruling emir. Gulf Arab nations also held calls with Qatar’s foreign minister, who has been deeply involved alongside Pakistan in mediating talks between Iran and the US over an interim deal meant to prevent a return to open warfare.
Meanwhile, Israel, which has carried out an intense campaign against Iran under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has not attacked the Islamic Republic since June. In most instances, Israel immediately claims its operations in Iran.
The Israeli government stated that Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump on Thursday night, during which Trump updated Netanyahu on “American moves in the Gulf”. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also renewed threats, stating that his nation stands ready to confront Iran, if necessary.
Speaking at a military ceremony, Katz declared that the Israeli military is on alert and ready to renew the campaign, re-establish aerial superiority, and carry out a third “blue-white” Israeli strike in Iran to remove threats, warning that if they must return, they will do so with even greater force.
