Iran hits middle eastern U.S. allies in latest exchange of fire

Iran hits middle eastern U.S. allies in latest exchange of fire JON GAMBRELL AND SAM METZ DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUBLISHED 58 MINUTES AGO UPDATED 24 SECONDS AGO Open this photo in gallery: Iranians walk past an anti-U.S. banner in Tehran on Sunday. The United States said airstrikes on Sunday aimed to 'punish' Iran over the first U.S. military deaths since renewed hostilities with the Islamic republic. ATTA KENARE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. The United States launched more air strikes in Iran on Sunday in response to the killing of U.S. troops, and Iran fired missiles toward Jordan that risked widening the conflict into neighbouring Israel. Step by step, the U.S, and Iran have returned closer to all-out war as last month’s interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has stalled. Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people. The U.S. military said the latest strikes targeted Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to retaliate for Friday’s killing of troops in Jordan. The campaign, now in its second week, has seen the U.S. target bridges, water desalination plants and electrical facilities in Iran. Tehran has retaliated by hitting U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East. Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain again activated air defences Sunday as they warned of incoming Iranian drones and missiles. Israel warned Iran that missiles launched toward neighbouring Jordan could cause fire to spill over into Israeli territory for the first time in weeks. Oil rises on renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities and threat of Red Sea closure The U.S. military’s Central Command said it hit “Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities and missile and drone storage sites.” It said the attack was designed to degrade Iran’s ability to control the strait and “swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces,” a key power base in Iran’s theocracy that controls its ballistic missile arsenal. Footage released by the U.S. military appeared to show strikes carried out by fighter jets and by Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from the sea. One target site appeared to be in a valley of a mountainous region. The Guard often has missile bases and other military equipment tucked into mountain…