The United States Attacks Iran for the Second Consecutive Day; Iranian Military: Strikes Launched Against U.S. Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain

[Global Times Special Correspondent Wang Yi, Global Times Correspondent in the U.S. Li Zhi] In the early hours of the 9th, the United States launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran, targeting approximately 90 military sites, reportedly including two railway bridges. Tehran subsequently responded by targeting key facilities at U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait, threatening to expand the scope of the attacks. Iranian Islamic Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf warned on the 9th, "Do not futilely wave your fists, or you will only sink deeper." The New York Times reported on the 9th that the temporary ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran has been precarious since it was signed last month, and the latest round of mutual strikes seems to bring it to the brink of collapse.

U.S. Military Strikes Approximately 90 Iranian Military Targets

According to a report by NBC on the 9th, the U.S. Central Command stated in a statement that the latest round of airstrikes against Iran has concluded, with approximately 90 Iranian military targets struck. These targets included "air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, missile and drone storage bases, naval forces, and military logistics infrastructure distributed along the Iranian coastline." The airstrikes were aimed at "further weakening Iran's ability to attack merchant ships and innocent civilian crews in the Strait of Hormuz."

This marks the second consecutive day that the U.S. has launched airstrikes against Iran. According to the Associated Press, in the early hours of the 8th, after Iran attacked several merchant ships near the coast of Oman, the U.S. struck multiple Iranian military facilities and ports. However, the scale of the attack on the 9th appears to be larger. Explosions were reported in multiple locations in Iran, including Bushehr, where Iran's nuclear power plant is located, as well as in southern port cities. Two bridges on the route to Mashhad were attacked, where Iran planned to bury the late Supreme Leader Khamenei on the 9th. U.S. media reported that this was the first attack on Iranian infrastructure since the ceasefire on April 8.

According to a report by Saudi Arabia's Arab News on the 9th, Kuwait and Bahrain stated that their air defense systems responded to "hostile missile and drone attacks" in the early hours of that day. Qatar also issued an alert, but the Ministry of Interior later released a statement through the Qatar News Agency declaring that "the security threat has ended."

Iran: "If you dare to strike, I will retaliate"

According to a report by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting on the 9th, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy stated that over the past two weeks, Iran has gradually reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and current traffic capacity has returned to about 50% of pre-war levels.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement on the 9th saying that the U.S. has been treacherous, once again violating all its commitments, and has attacked multiple areas in Iran's southern coastal provinces, destroying two bridges leading from Iran's eastern provinces to Mashhad. In the first phase of punitive retaliation against the treacherous Americans, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and Air Force jointly launched missile and drone strikes targeting key infrastructure at U.S. air bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The statement warned, "If there are further violations, we will respond with devastating counterattacks and expand the scope of retaliation to other U.S. military bases in the Middle East."

According to a report by the Iranian Tasnim News Agency on the 9th, Ghalibaf posted on social media saying, "The U.S. still has not learned its lesson; bullying and treachery will no longer be without cost. If you dare to strike, I will retaliate... The Strait of Hormuz can only be opened under Iran's arrangements, not under U.S. threats." The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 9th strongly condemning the U.S. military's attacks on Iran over the past 48 hours, stating that the attacks violated the United Nations Charter and relevant provisions of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.

"Peace on Paper"

"Peace on paper, missiles in the sky." The Times of India analyzed the reasons for the renewed conflict between the U.S. and Iran under this title. The report stated that the agreement on June 17 was never a peace treaty. The temporary agreement signed by the U.S. and Iran only bought time and did not eliminate the root causes of the initial conflict between the two countries. However, the report acknowledged that for a brief period, the agreement did seem to work.

The report noted that one reason for the rapid collapse of the agreement was the vastly different interpretations by both sides. The U.S. government primarily viewed this arrangement as a mechanism for restoring stability, with the direct goal of stopping attacks on merchant ships, reducing tensions in the Gulf, and preventing the escalation of regional conflicts. In contrast, Iran viewed the agreement as the beginning of a broader diplomatic process that could ultimately lead to the easing of sanctions, increased oil exports, and negotiations regarding its long-term role in the region. The apparent consensus between the two sides did not actually exist. Washington believed it had exchanged for calm, while Tehran believed it had gained leverage for future negotiations. The problem is that the U.S. and Iran never fully agreed on the true meaning of the agreement.