Iran's Revolutionary Guards say 'decisive response' to US strikes has begun

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said a "decisive response" to recent US strikes has been launched, in what appeared to be Tehran's first formal acknowledgment of a military retaliation. International media reported that air defense systems were activated in Kuwait and Bahrain. The US military has characterized its strikes on Iran as acts of "legitimate self-defense." Explosions were reported across parts of southern Iran, though no official information on the scale, targets or casualties of the exchange has been released publicly. The IRGC's "decisive response" statement marks the first official Iranian confirmation of a military reply, with regional media noting that the deployment of air defenses in Gulf states has raised concerns that the confrontation could extend beyond Iranian territory. The US operations against Iran, described by Washington as self-defense, followed an unspecified period of heightened tensions. The two sides have traded accusations in public statements, with the IRGC's announcement signaling that the confrontation has moved into an active military phase. No further details on the scope of the Iranian response or any potential further US action were immediately available.