Iran remains defiant, retaliates amid fresh US strikes

Iran remained defiant and retaliated against US assets across the Middle East as the United States launched airstrikes for an eighth consecutive night under an expanded military campaign.

The renewed spate of violence stems from the two sides' scramble for control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf choke point that carries one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during peacetime.

In a statement on Sunday, the US Central Command said it targeted "Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime assets, plus missile and drone storage sites". The strikes came a day after two US soldiers were killed and one remained missing during Iran's attacks in Jordan, marking the first US military deaths linked to the conflict since March.

Iran responded with retaliatory attacks on two US military bases in Kuwait, targeting an ammunition depot at Camp Udairi and Patriot radar and aerial monitoring systems at Ali Al Salem Air Base. Bahrain also activated air defense systems early Sunday in response to drone and missile threats.

The Iranian Health Ministry said on Saturday that at least 50 people had been killed and more than 500 wounded in more than a week of intensifying attacks, which Tehran said included strikes on an airport, a railway station and bridges.

Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that the US will face "unforgettable lessons" if it continues attacking Iran. He said that Washington's breaches of the interim accord prove that US President Donald Trump's signature on the deal is "worthless and invalid".

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Khamenei, warned that Tehran will resume full-scale offensive operations should US airstrikes continue in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the US State Department issued a global travel alert, urging US citizens to be extra vigilant amid heightened Middle East tensions. It warned that travel chaos may arise from flight cancellations and temporary airspace shutdowns.

Almost all Arab states in the Gulf have faced Iranian retaliatory strikes, with missile warnings issued in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The United Arab Emirates has not yet been directly attacked.

However, Iran's Fars News Agency, quoting an anonymous official, said on Saturday that continued strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure would mean that the airports of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the ports of Fujairah and Jebel Ali, should be immediately evacuated.

In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry urged full restraint to avoid grave regional fallout and prevent the region from sliding deeper into violence and instability, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities and swift resumption of negotiations.