Kuwait, Jordan intercept Iranian missiles as regional fallout spreads
The United States and Iran exchanged strikes for a second consecutive day Thursday, after a cease-fire was upended Tuesday. Iran’s Health Ministry said American airstrikes over two days had killed at least 14 people and wounded 78 others, according to a post by spokesperson Hossein Kermanpour on social media. Most of those killed were reportedly members of the armed forces, the ministry said.
Iran fired missiles at several Middle Eastern countries Thursday, drawing in countries that had not been directly targeted earlier in the conflict. Kuwait said its military intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile and 10 drones, according to a statement from its defense ministry. Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted about eight Iranian missiles. The U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a security alert, though no damage or injuries were reported from the interceptions.
The renewed hostilities followed the collapse of a cease-fire that was upended Tuesday, with the tit-for-tat strikes raising uncertainty for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. The escalation marks a continuation of a conflict that began in late February and has drawn in multiple countries across the region.