Video: IRGC drone spotted over Iraq amid US-Iran strikes

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday that contradictory US messages and repeated ceasefire breaches had damaged the diplomatic process.

Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran’s armed forces “would not hesitate for a moment” to respond whenever they find it necessary.

He said branches of government were fully coordinated and would use diplomacy or military force to defend the country.

The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday strongly condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, calling them a violation of the three countries’ sovereignty and a threat to their security and stability.

The UAE foreign ministry expressed full solidarity with Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan and said it supported any measures taken by the three countries to protect their security and stability.

An explosion was heard near Qeshm Island in southern Iran on Wednesday, semi-official Mehr News reported, citing local sources.

The report said the cause was not immediately clear, adding that the sound may have come from a distant blast or activity in the Strait of Hormuz.

The governor of Qeshm said later that no explosion had occurred on the island and that the blast sound heard in the area did not originate there.

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.