DUBAI — Iran says it has carried out drone strikes on US military facilities and bases across the Middle East in retaliation for the 13th consecutive night of American attacks on the country.US strikes were reported in multiple regions of Iran early Friday. Explosions were reported along Iran’s Gulf coast, and in western, northern and central areas. Four people were killed and five injured in an attack in the south-west, Iranian state media said.”Points around the city of Ahvaz were attacked by the US terrorist army with missiles a few minutes ago,” said Khuzestan Deputy Governor for Security Affairs Valiollah Hayati, according to state broadcaster IRIB.The semi-official Tasnim news agency also reported that the sound of several powerful explosions was heard in different parts of Ahvaz around 2.20 am local time (2250GMT Thursday).The agency, citing field observations and initial reports, said explosions were heard across various areas of Ahvaz and that the blasts were continuing.Explosions were also reportedly heard west of the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, around Omidiyeh, near Andimeshk, on the southern coast of Qeshm Island, in Konarak, a city in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, Jask city in Hormozgan province, south of Khorramabad in Lorestan Province, the city of Khandab and several locations in central Yazd province, according to IRIB.The director general of crisis management for Hormozgan governorate said the reported attack struck the Tappe Allah Akbar neighborhood of Bandar Abbas, damaging an electricity pole and severing a power line in the area.The official said electricity to affected parts of Bandar Abbas was expected to be restored within an hour.The deputy governor of Hormozgan said two people were injured in the reported US attacks on areas of Bandar Abbas.Iranian media also reported that air defense systems were activated in the capital Tehran to counter what they described as a “hostile” threat.Iran later announced strikes on US-allied Kuwait, while sirens sounded in Bahrain and Jordan, and flights were suspended at a major Iraqi airport after a reported drone crash.It comes as Iran condemned the US plan to use frozen Iranian assets to pay for war damages, in a sign of further escalation between the two countries.On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said damages to ships and cargo in the Strait of Hormuz would be paid for by “Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls”.”These damages may be very substantial but, nevertheless, this is the fair and equitable thing to do,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by saying that seizing another country’s assets to “pay for unrelated future claims is an incendiary precedent”.”Ensuing chaos will not be pretty or peaceful,” he added.In June, the US and Iran agreed on a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days.But three weeks after it was signed, Trump declared the ceasefire “over” after Iranian attacks on ships in the strait, and US strikes in response.Point 11 of the MoU detailed that the “United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran”.As the US pushes to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz, there’s growing concern over new threats to shipping in the Red Sea from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis.That has helped push the price of crude oil back over $100 (£74.96) a barrel – the highest level since May.Trump separately on Thursday vowed “major military punishment” against Iran for Houthi attacks.He later told the Axios news website he was considering restarting major combat operations in Iran and launching strikes “bigger than ever before”.Tensions have been escalating between the US and Iran since the start of July.On Thursday night, the US military said it carried out strikes to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping in regional waters.US Central Command (Centcom) said it had targeted “Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities”.Foreign news agencies reported a drone crash at Iraq’s Erbil International Airport, causing a temporary stoppage. Flights have since resumed.
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