War In West Asia: Iran-America Hostilities Resume As US Targets Indian Crew Vessels

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), says it has struck US military bases in West Asia. According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the latest round of attacks comes as retaliation to the strikes carried out by the US on Iran earlier this week, after President Donald Trump warned that “he would hit them hard”. The US and Iran continue to exchange strikes, further straining an already shaky ceasefire that the two countries agreed upon back in April.

The April 8 ceasefire between US and Iran further weakened as Israel continued to strike southern Lebanon - cessation of which is one of the key conditions of Iran for any successful agreement. “This war will end only when it ends in Lebanon, as well,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier this week.

Israel’s attacks on the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday prompted the recent round of fire exchange between Iran and Israel over the weekend. The attacks only halted after Trump called on both sides to “stop shooting”. However, as Iran and the US also exchanged attacks, there is a risk that the conflict might resume on full scale.

Iran’s Strike and the Status of Strait of Hormuz

The IRGC Navy said it targeted two “offending vessels” passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Following the strikes, Iran has announced a complete closure of the strait which is a vital chokepoint for global oil shipments and has warned that it will fire upon any vessel attempting to navigate through the water channel. Iran has announced “complete closure” of the Strait of Hormuz. The US, however, denies any blockade, stating, “commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz”.

US Attack on Indian Crew Ships

Earlier this week, the US had carried out strikes on two vessels carrying Indian seafarers. MT Marinex, a Palau-flagged merchant tanker, was attacked off the coast of Oman on Monday. Fortunately, all 24 of the Indian crew members of the vessel were successfully rescued in coordination with Omani authorities, said the Indian Coast Guard in a statement. The second strike was carried out on the Settebello, as it transited the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday evening. US CENTCOM claimed that the ship was carrying Iranian oil and that the crew failed to comply with the instructions from the US Forces.

Following the attack, India had summoned the US Deputy Chief of Mission, Jason Meeks over the incident to lodge a “strong protest”.

Of the 24 Indian seafarers onboard Settebello, 21 have been rescued while three remained missing and were later found dead. India’s Shipping Minister ‌Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday confirmed that all ⁠three missing Indian seafarers have died.

Iran’s Attack Claims

Iran has claimed that it has attacked US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait for a second time after the Tuesday strikes. The drone strikes were launched on Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa airbase and Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al-Jaber airbases, early on Thursday.

Jordan’s Al-Azraq airbase was also targeted using 12 ballistic missiles. The airbase stations multiple American fighter jets, including F-15s, F-16s and F-35s, which were in waiting to launch action against Iran. The strike destroyed many of these jets, an IRGC statement said.

The IRGC also said that the strikes come in response to the US’s renewed attack on “multiple targets” inside Iran.  

Air raid sirens were activated twice in Bahrain, with the Interior Ministry urging people to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place”. In Kuwait, the army said that its air defence systems have been intercepting aerial missiles. It also notified people to follow official security and safety guidelines, while deterring them from obtaining information from unofficial sources.

Day 2 of US’s “Self-Defence Strikes”

The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in an update shared on X that it has completed its second day of “self defence strikes against multiple targets in Iran”.

“U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets fired precision munitions on Iranian targets that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters. The strikes are in response to Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression. US forces remain vigilant, lethal, and ready,” it added.

Southern Lebanon In The Crosshairs

Meanwhile Israel continued its attacks against southern Lebanon. In the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, an Israeli strike on a vehicle killed two people and sparked a fire that spread to nearby cars. Earlier, on Wednesday, Lebanon’s National News Agency had reported that a series of Israeli air strikes killed 12 people and wounded 13, including two paramedics.

Israel's Campaign in West Bank

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces continued their campaign of raids in the occupied West Bank and stormed the Al-Ein camp, west of Nablus city.

Israeli shelling and gunfire on Thursday also targeted the Nuseirat camp, the Zeitoun neighbourhood, and the town of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip, killing one and injuring three others, Wafa reported.

Al Jazeera reports that since the 'ceasefire' took effect on October 10 last year, Israeli attacks, happening on an almost daily basis, have killed at least 981 Palestinians and injured 3,104.

Iranian Sites Attacked After Trump’s Warning

In two or maybe even three waves of attacks, the US struck a dozen cities and provinces overnight, reported Al Jazeera. The first attack with the widest range included Kish and Sirik, Minab, and Bandar Abbas. Activities were also reported from the central Isfahan area while two explosions were heard in Karaj, west of Tehran. 

Ahead of the strikes, Trump had told the reporters at the White House: “We’re going ​to be ​attacking them, ⁠attacking them very hard, resuming bombing,” as he cited Tehran’s downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We want a ​deal that is meaningful, we want a deal that works,” said Trump when asked about the ceasefire negotiations.

Iran’s Statement

According to the Tasnim news agency, the IRGC’s Aerospace Force chief, Majid Mousavi has also commented on the latest US attacks. Promising “hell” in the region, Mousavi said, “Are you making the sacred Strait of Hormuz unsafe?! We will make the region hell for you from all over Iran.” “This is the response to the audacity of the Americans in the region, God willing,” he added.

How the Conflict Began

The war in West Asia was triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. The attack came amid negotiations between the US and Iran over the latter’s nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes.

The war has been ongoing for more than a 100 days now, with Israel expanding its war on Iran to Lebanon. According to an Al Jazeera report, Israel has killed over 3,600 people in Lebanon, displaced more than one million and expanded its occupation in the south, razing entire villages. Lebanon’s death toll is higher than the official figure of at least 3,400 killed in Iran, the report revealed. Moreover, more than 150 people have been killed in other countries in the region, in addition to 26 in Israel and 13 US soldiers, in Iranian attacks.