Morning update Good morning Middle East Eye readers, US attacks on Iran escalated overnight, following president Donald Trump's remarks on Wednesday that Washington would hit Iran "very hard". Several cities, especially in the south of the country, were targeted during a two hour-long wave of attacks. Here are the latest developments: A US strike on a residential house in Qeshm, located in Iran's Hormozgan, killed three members of a family and injured two others, aged 7 and 9.
Hormozgan official Ahmad Nafisi said that the family members killed included a father, mother and their two year-old child. The latest statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that countries who aid the US will face consequences. The IRGC also doubled down on Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the strategic waterway will not be opened for as long as "US threats" continue.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine told US President Donald Trump that the situation regarding munitions stockpile could impact military operations in Iran, according to AP based on a US official source US President Donald Trump met with Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, on Wednesday for urgent discussions following the two countries' joint strikes on Iraq, Axios reported citing an American official. The Israeli army has intensified its attacks across the Gaza Strip, killing at least three - including a child - and wounding several others.
Summary from source