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Iran announced on the 1st (local time) that it has initiated strong retaliatory measures in response to U.S. airstrikes in the Hormuz region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated in a statement that the U.S. attacks are a manifestation of 'desperation' and that retaliation has already begun. Iran claims to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone using a new air defense system.
Iran condemned the U.S. attacks as targeting various locations, including civilian facilities, emphasizing that such attacks would instead strengthen security in the Strait of Hormuz and reinforce their resolve to suppress foreign intervention. The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that operations targeting U.S. military bases and key facilities have commenced.
On the same day, the U.S. Central Command announced that it had begun strikes against targets identified by the IRGC. Explosions were heard in major Iranian ports and islands, and a wedding venue in Hormozgan was bombed, resulting in at least 2 deaths and over 50 injuries. An IRGC spokesperson warned that severe punishment awaits the U.S. for its attacks, stating that the U.S. will regret its new aggression.