US-Iran strike exchange intensifies as Khamenei burial lifts insurance premiums
The United States and Iran traded airstrikes on dozens of military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Iran, escalating the regional conflict. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it struck about 85 U. S. locations in Bahrain and Kuwait, while U. S. Central Command reported hitting more than 80 targets inside Iran in retaliation. Subsequent U. S. strikes were said to have hit over 170 Iranian sites, prompting Tehran to launch missiles and drones toward Gulf states, which Jordan intercepted, according to the New York Times.
The Associated Press noted that the exchange raised concerns about the stability of a cease-fire agreement, and Al Jazeera relayed Iranian state media reports of explosions in Bushehr and other southern cities, which U. S. Central Command denied. During the burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran reported 14 deaths and launched retaliatory attacks on regional targets, while the United States said it hit 90 Iranian military sites, per Yahoo and CNN reports. CNN also reported that the cease-fire collapsed as fresh strikes hit Iranian coastal installations. The heightened hostilities drove up war-insurance premiums for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and U. S. and Israeli officials discussed coordination and possible further actions, according to the CNN piece.
