TEHRAN: Amid reports of Iran’s military operations now extending to areas as far as Cyprus, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard have claimed hundreds of U.S. troops were killed or wounded in recent strikes, while Washington flatly disputed the figures and dismissed the reports as disinformation.
The IRGC said its missile and drone attacks targeted U.S. bases and naval assets in the region, including the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Iranian officials asserted that more than 650 American service members were killed or injured in the opening days of the campaign, and that a combat support ship sustained heavy damage.
However, U.S. defense officials countered with far lower casualty figures, reporting six deaths and 18 serious injuries, denying any fatalities in Bahrain and insisted that Iranian missiles did not come close to the Abraham Lincoln. Pentagon spokespeople described Tehran’s claims as exaggerated propaganda designed to project strength.
The confrontation, it may be recalled, followed the dramatic events of February 28, when coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran launched a sweeping retaliation, targeting American and British bases across Arab states and Cyprus, with barrages of missiles, escalating the conflict into a regional showdown.
Latest developments from the Middle East suggest that Iran has launched drone attacks targeting multiple U.S. facilities in the region. Notably, these strikes struck U.S. embassies in Riyadh and Kuwait, along with the U.S. consulate in Dubai and a CIA station in Riyadh.
These attacks have heightened concerns regarding the safety of diplomatic personnel and the potential for further escalation in the ongoing military conflict, posing a significant challenge for regional stability amid ongoing hostilities.
It is also worth mentioning that Iranian drones have reportedly approached Cyprus, at least twice, successfully striking a British military base at RAF Akrotiri, raising alarm bells among Western nations and prompting France, Britain, and Greece to announce enhanced military support to safeguard Cyprus.
France is deploying anti-missile and anti-drone systems, along with the frigate Languedoc, while Britain confirmed the dispatch of the destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters outfitted with advanced missile capabilities. Additionally, Greece is contributing four F-16 fighter jets and two frigates, including one designed for electronic warfare. This collective response underscores the West’s commitment to regional security amidst an increasingly volatile situation.
