Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Jul 20: The United States launched a fresh round of airstrikes against Iran early on Monday, marking the ninth consecutive night of attacks, after announcing the death of another American service member. Iran responded by firing missiles towards Jordan, raising fears of the conflict spreading further across the Middle East.
The latest escalation comes as last month's interim agreement aimed at ending the fighting has collapsed, bringing Washington and Tehran closer to an all-out war. Shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has also been severely disrupted, while both sides continue to target infrastructure relied upon by millions of civilians.
The US military said the latest American casualty was killed in Iraq on Saturday during the "controlled detonation" of a downed Iranian drone.
Earlier, Washington said its strikes on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were carried out in retaliation for Friday's attack in Jordan that killed US troops. One service member remains unaccounted for, with the military saying "unidentified remains" recovered on Sunday are being examined. The number of US personnel killed since the conflict began has risen to 17.
The latest exchange of attacks, now entering its second week, has seen the US target bridges, electrical facilities and military infrastructure across Iran.
US Central Command confirmed the latest strikes early Monday.
"The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz," the command said in a statement.
As the attacks unfolded, a ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Oman. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the cause of the blaze was not immediately known.
The US has encouraged commercial vessels to use shipping routes near Oman to reduce the risk of Iranian interference in the strategic waterway.
Iran has retaliated by launching missiles and drones at US-allied countries across the region.
Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait activated their air defence systems to intercept incoming Iranian projectiles. The US Embassy in Bahrain also issued a security warning, stating that Iran could target unspecified locations in central Manama, the country's capital.
Israel warned that Iranian missiles launched towards Jordan could spill over into its territory, potentially triggering the first air raid sirens in weeks.
Footage released by the US military on Sunday appeared to show fighter aircraft and Tomahawk cruise missiles striking targets in mountainous regions believed to house Iranian Revolutionary Guard missile facilities.
Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said the US attacks also struck the construction site of the planned Darkhovin nuclear power plant in the country's southwest.
Satellite imagery taken earlier this month showed the site remained in the early stages of construction. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the facility contained no nuclear material during its most recent inspection.
Jordan's military said it intercepted several Iranian missiles without any casualties or damage. The Jordanian government later summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires to lodge an official protest.
Israel's military said missiles launched towards the Jordanian port city of Aqaba could enter Israeli airspace. Authorities in the neighbouring Israeli city of Eilat said interceptor missiles were launched to prevent debris from falling in populated areas.
During the latest phase of the conflict, Iran has primarily targeted US-allied Arab countries rather than Israel.
"We are prepared to immediately resume combat," Israeli military chief Lt Gen Eyal Zamir said.
Meanwhile, Kuwait reported that one of its power and water desalination plants had come under attack for the second time in two days, triggering fires. The country's Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said the national power grid remained stable despite the incident. Nearly 90 per cent of Kuwait's drinking water is supplied through desalination plants.