The latest series of bombings launched in the last few hours by the Iranian Army and the Revolutionary Guard has caused at least three injuries in Qatar and has set off alarms in Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and Bahrain, in a context marked by warnings from the authorities of the Islamic republic about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, completely closed since last Saturday.
"We have taken control of the strait by force, and by force we will preserve it," the spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, Ebrahim Rezaei, stated this morning on social media. His words came hours after the chief Iranian negotiator and president of the Legislature, Mohamed Baqer Qalifab, warned the United States that the era of unilateral pacts "is over," alluding to deep discrepancies over the interpretation of the memorandum of understanding that until now regulated the fragile ceasefire.
One of the main advisors to the supreme leader, Mohsen Rezaei, has once again underlined the strategic relevance of controlling the strait, which he described as "one of the components of the country's deterrence and plays a decisive role in ensuring national security and interests."
"Hormuz acts as a strategic deterrent and Iran will protect the country's interests and security by relying on its defense capabilities and national strength," Rezaei reiterated in statements to the semi-official Tasnim agency.
In Bahrain, sirens sounded up to three times during the morning, while the Ministry of Interior asked the population for calm and urged them to head to the nearest shelter. At the same time, security sources in Oman informed the official ONA agency of "several drone attacks against targets in the Musandam governorate," an Omani mountainous enclave that juts into the Strait of Hormuz and borders the United Arab Emirates.
The most serious incidents occurred in Qatar, whose Ministry of Interior reported that at least three people were injured, including a minor, "due to the fall of shrapnel during interception operations." The injured "are receiving the necessary medical attention," the department added, without offering further details for now.
As a precautionary measure, Qatari authorities have recommended all vessels to leave the area and have asked boat owners to "temporarily suspend navigation and maritime activities" until further notice, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport.
"The measure has been taken in the interest of public safety and includes recreational boats, fishing boats, and jet skis," the Ministry specified.
For its part, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has only reported a ballistic missile attack against the Al Udeid air base. Early in the morning, the Iranian Army had also announced an attack with explosive drones against a Patriot air defense system, an ammunition depot, and a radar station belonging to US forces in Kuwait.
Jordan's official news agency, Petra, has confirmed the impact of at least three Iranian missiles before dawn in different parts of the country, which only caused "minor material damage." Shortly before, Iran had acknowledged the launch of a ballistic missile against Prince Hassan Air Base which, according to the Iranian Army, would have destroyed hangars with MQ-9 drones and a control center.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) had announced early Sunday new attacks against Iran, in response to the Revolutionary Guard's action against a commercial vessel that, according to Washington, had disregarded its instructions, which Tehran has used as an argument to decree the closure of the Strait of Hormuz "until further notice."
According to Washington, in this third round of attacks against Iranian territory within a week, approximately 140 military targets have been hit, including "Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition depots, communication networks, and coastal surveillance posts."
The official Iranian agency IRNA has so far confirmed impacts in five cities in the province of Bushehr: Asaluyeh, Dir, Bushehr, Dashti, and Tangestan, all located on or near the country's southern coast.