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First Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
What happens if Iran attacks US bases in West Asia
Iran has said it will launch 'powerful and targeted operations' against the United States after Washington on Sunday attacked three nuclear sites in Iran – Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. But what has Iran said exactly? What do we know about the US presence in West Asia? and what happens if Iran hits a military base? read more A day after the United States targeted nuclear sites in Iran, Tehran has vowed to hit back. United States on Sunday attacked three nuclear sites in Iran – Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. US President Donald Trump claimed that the three sides were 'completely and totally obliterated'. Iran also on Monday said it would to continue its enrichment uranium program. Read latest updates about America joining Israel-Iran war here. 'Iran will continue its uranium enrichment activities despite US and Israeli strikes,' Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said. 'No one can tell us what we should or should not do'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what did Iran say? And what happens if it hits US bases in West Asia? What did Iran say? Iran vowed to respond to the US strikes on its nuclear bases with 'powerful and targeted operations'. ALSO READ | Did US use Indian airspace to launch strikes on Iran's nuclear sites? 'The criminal America, continuing its all-out support for the aggression of the Zionist regime by blatantly violating the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, directly entered the war with Iran and invaded the sacred soil of Iran. We assure you that with this aggression, the clock will not turn in your favour. The warriors of Islam, in response to this crime, will bring heavy, regrettable and unpredictable consequences for you with powerful and targeted operations. God willing,' Khatam Central Headquarters said. Tehran said its military would decide the 'timing, nature and scale' of its reply to the US. Iran on Sunday had accused the US of destroying diplomacy. Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani on Sunday told the UN Security Council at an emergency meeting that 'Iran had repeatedly warned the warmongering US regime to refrain from stumbling into this quagmire'. 'Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3 (group of European ministers)/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy,' Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iran also said the US had 'crossed a very big red line'. It said 'every American citizen or military personnel' in West Asia is now considered a target. Experts think that Iran is likely to retaliate by likely hitting a US base somewhere in the region. US presence in West Asia First, let's look at the US' presence in West Asia. The United States has a massive footprint in the region – and has had for decades. This includes tens of thousands of troops – between 40,000 and 50 thousand – at least eight permanent bases in the region. These eight permanent bases are located in Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan. Qatar is home to US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Al Udeid AIr Base, the largest military base, in the region. The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which includes 'airlift, aerial refuelling intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets', also operates out of this base. In Kuwait, the US has Camp Arifjan – a major army base – and the Ali Al Salem Air Base, which is where the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing operates from. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US also has several military bases in Iraq. This includes the Al-Harir and Al Asad air bases as well as a number of camps and outposts. US President Donald Trump gestures while onstage to deliver remarks to US troops during a visit to Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar. Reuters In the UAE, the US operates the Al-Dhafra airbase. This outpost, whose focus is on reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, is home to the US 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The Gulf Air Warfare Centre for air and missile defence training is also at this airbase. Saudi Arabia is home to the Prince Sultan Air Base, which is used by the US Air Force. US military personnel are also put up at the Eskan Village near Riyadh. Bahrain hosts the Naval Support Activity Bahrain site. US Naval Forces Central Command and United States Fifth Fleet operate out of this location – previously a British naval command. Egypt is home to a number of US facilities, while Jordan has the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base – which the US operates with its allies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The US also has facilities in nearly two dozen nations in West Asia. In short, there are many places that Iran could conceivably attack in retaliation. It has done so on many occasions in the past. What happens if it hits US bases in West Asia? Experts say Iran is in a difficult situation. 'They're really stuck,' HA Hellyer, a senior associate at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, told NBC News. 'If they fight back by striking American targets, then the US is very likely to respond with a much more aggressive and continual campaign that could cause even more damage, not only to the regime, but to the country at large.' 'But if Iran doesn't respond, the cohesion of its regime,' a ruling class weighed down by corruption, public discontent and growing disillusionment with its promises of resistance, 'could really be challenged,' Hellyer added. Jonathan Panikoff, who works at the Atlantic Council think-tank, added, 'In the end, they are going to try to be calculated and narrow about how they respond'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, said the country will likely try not 'being dragged into an all-out war with the United States.' How did other nations react? Many nations including some US allies have reacted with shock and dismay to Washington's move. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned of escalation beyond West Asia as he called for all sides to negotiate a diplomatic end to the crisis, saying stability was the priority in the volatile region. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer Image: AFP Saudi Arabia, which previously condemned Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and military leaders, expressed 'deep concern' about the US airstrikes, but stopped short of condemning them. 'The Kingdom underscores the need to exert all possible efforts to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions, and avoid further escalation,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible, adding that Iranian nuclear weapons development also must be prevented. He declined to comment on whether he supported the US attacks on Iran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
News18
9 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
'Gambler Trump': Iran's Military Issues Fresh Threat To US, Vows 'Powerful' Operations
Last Updated: Tensions escalated in West Asia after US military launched massive strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. Iran said it reserved all options for legitimate self-defence. The Iranian military on Monday hinted at retaliatory attacks on US targets in West Asia and beyond, saying the United States' direct involvement in the conflict by striking nuclear sites has expanded the range of legitimate targets for the Iranian forces. 'Gambler Trump, you can start this war but we will be the ones who end it," warned Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson of Iran's military central command. 'The fighters of Islam will inflict serious, unpredictable consequences on you with powerful and targeted (military) operations," he added. Iran's Khatam Central Headquarters also warned of 'powerful and targeted operations" against the US for direct American invasion of Iranian soil. 'We assure you that with this aggression, the clock will not turn in your favour," it said. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi also said that Tehran would continue with its uranium enrichment programme despite recent US and Israeli strikes. 'No one can tell us what we should or should not do," he said. 'Make Iran Great Again' The US launched massive attacks on Iran's nuclear sites as part of 'Operation Midnight Hammer" on Sunday, marking a dramatic escalation in the tensions in West Asia. While the extent of the damage is not clear, the US military said the strikes dealt significant damage to the nuclear sites. Trump on Monday lauded the military of his country for strikes in Iran, and claimed the strikes hit the 'bullseye" and caused 'monumental damage" to the nuclear sites in Iran. The attacks are expected to have significant damage on the Fordow nuclear plant, but there was no confirmation. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes had 'devastated the Iranian nuclear programme", but 'did not target Iranian troops or the Iranian people". While Hegseth said at a press briefing that 'this mission was not about a regime change, Trump mulled the possibility. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" he said on his Truth Social platform. First Published:
