New Delhi: Iran on Sunday launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes targeting US military bases across the region and Israel, according to state media. The attacks were described as retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian state television reported that 27 US bases in the region were among the targets. Israel’s military headquarters and a defence industries complex in Tel Aviv were also named, theguardian.com reported.
Ali Larijani, Iran’s top national security adviser, warned that “secessionist groups” would face a harsh response if they attempted any action. He made the remarks during an interview broadcast on state TV.
Iranian state media confirmed that the country’s defence minister and chief of staff of the armed forces were killed in US and Israeli strikes on Saturday. Lt. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, who had led the armed forces since his predecessor was killed during the 12-day conflict last June, died in the attacks, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh was also killed, according to Tasnim.
On Sunday morning, sirens sounded across central Israel and parts of the occupied West Bank.
Blasts were reported in several Gulf cities. Thick black smoke and loud explosions were seen over Doha, while explosions were also heard in Dubai and Manama. Near Erbil airport in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, which hosts US-led coalition troops, loud blasts and black smoke were reported.
Witnesses said that several loud explosions were heard in the Dubai area for a second consecutive day. Iranian strikes also hit targets in neighbouring Gulf states following US and Israeli attacks.
On Saturday, Iran carried out a broad attack targeting more than six countries, expanding the crisis to states previously unaffected.
Iraq announced three days of mourning after confirming Khamenei’s death. Government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement that Iraq extended condolences to the people of Iran and the Muslim world following what he called “a blatant act of aggression.”
