Explosion heard near Iran’s Qeshm Island - Mehr News

Iran’s overnight missile and drone operation against the US regional bases hit 70% of its targets, IRGC-linked Fars News reported on Wednesday, citing a military source.

The source said the assessment was based on “satellite images and information sent by field sources to Iran’s foreign intelligence service.”

Long-range ballistic missiles and drones passed through air defense systems at US bases and hit pre-selected targets in Azraq, Jordan, Ali Al Salem in Kuwait and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain, according to the report.

Reuters reported earlier citing initial US assessments that nearly all of the missiles and drones launched by Iran at US military facilities in the region were intercepted.

A cargo vessel exchanged fire with a small craft carrying six armed people southwest of Balhaf, Yemen, on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.

UKMTO said the small craft turned away after the exchange with the cargo vessel’s armed security team.

Authorities were investigating, and vessels were advised to transit with caution and report suspicious activity.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he held separate phone calls with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan overnight to discuss regional developments after US strikes on southern Iran.

Araghchi condemned the US strikes in the calls and said they violated Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said Iran had an inherent right to self-defense and to a reciprocal response by its armed forces.

Nearly all of the missiles and drones launched by Iran at US military facilities in the region were intercepted, Reuters reported citing initial US assessments.

A US official told the news agency that at least four ballistic missiles and several drones were fired at US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. Initial assessments indicated that nearly all were successfully intercepted.

The official said the United States struck nearly 20 targets inside Iran in response to the downing of a helicopter.

Reports that Washington is considering using frozen Iranian assets to compensate Persian Gulf allies for damage allegedly caused by Iran have triggered a backlash in Tehran, where access to the funds remains a central demand in negotiations with the United States.

Reuters reported on Saturday, citing a source familiar with the matter, that Washington is considering making frozen Iranian assets available to Persian Gulf partners to help cover future damage allegedly caused by Iran.

The report said the US Treasury is also examining whether the funds could be used to compensate for past losses and has begun assessing costs incurred by Gulf allies. The report has not been confirmed by the Treasury Department.

The sums involved could be substantial. Estimates of frozen Iranian assets vary, but they are widely believed to amount to tens of billions of dollars held abroad, including in countries such as South Korea and Iraq.

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