US launches airstrikes on Iran's Revolutionary Guard after troop deaths

The US military launched airstrikes on Sunday targeting Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to retaliate for the killing of American troops in Jordan, widening the crossfire between the nations over the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes, now part of a weeklong campaign, have seen Iran retaliate by hitting power and desalination plants in Kuwait, threatening daily life in that oil-rich desert nation. The US Central Command said it hit Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites. For the first time, the US specifically targeted the Guard, which controls Iran's ballistic missile arsenal. Footage showed strikes by fighter jets and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from sea.

Iran has provided no information on materiel losses, as the campaign enters its eighth day. The conflict is centered on control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which one-fifth of all oil and natural gas passes in peacetime. The interim deal seeking to end the Iran war has collapsed, and Iran has stepped up threats to expand strikes, drawing a warning from the United Arab Emirates. The US has also targeted bridges and electrical facilities in Iran, aiming to degrade the Guard's ability to threaten maritime security and U.S. forces. The situation remains volatile, with potential global economic repercussions if the Strait is disrupted.