Iran's Revolutionary Guards say they struck back at US bases in Persian Gulf after southern attacks

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched retaliatory strikes against US forces after American air attacks hit southern Iranian regions near the Strait of Hormuz. In a written statement, the IRGC's Mohammad Rasoulallah Central Headquarters said the United States struck the Jask, Sirik and Qeshm areas in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The statement said communication towers in Sirik were damaged and water reservoirs in the Bamani area were destroyed. According to the headquarters, the US carried out three separate waves of attacks targeting missile defense systems and radars near the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said it responded immediately with drones directed at the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The retaliation came after US Central Command announced it had launched defensive and measured operations against Iran at President Donald Trump's direction, following the downing of an Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.