Iran vows to "break" the enemy after massive US airstrikes

Iran launched a major retaliatory strike in the Middle East on Wednesday and vowed to "break" the enemy after a new round of US strikes on its soil, which marred a wedding - a "war crime" according to Tehran.

Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and also the United Arab Emirates: Iranian armed forces have claimed responsibility for widespread strikes against their neighbors, amid renewed hostilities after a month of calm.

The US Central Command for the Middle East (Centcom) had launched a series of strikes a few hours earlier, for the second consecutive day, in a scenario that is repeating itself in the face of a war that began at the end of February and still has no diplomatic solution.

"US forces have struck targets of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," the powerful Iranian military, including air defense sites, radar systems and maritime installations, according to Centcom.

Iranian state media reported at least 11 deaths in the bombings: four during a wedding in the district of Sirik (southeast), where about fifty people were injured, and seven in the Khuzestan region (west).

The Revolutionary Guards also announced four deaths in their ranks, as well as three in the Basij paramilitary branch.

The speaker of the Iranian parliament and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, called the United States "Satan" after the wedding attack, also recalling the Minab bombing that killed 155 people, including 120 children, in the early hours of the war.

A video shared by an Iranian government account shows significant debris and damage at the site — presented as the location of the attack — while screams can be heard.

Ali Mallahi, the bride's father, told state television of his "sadness" after the attack on "a residential building, which unfortunately occurred during a wedding ceremony" and which could have resulted in a much higher death toll.

The US military has not directly commented on the strike, but has stated that it "never targets civilians, unlike the Guardians".

- "New strategy" -

"The reality of this illegal war (...) and the true face of the war crime are in Sirik, where a wedding ceremony was savagely bombed as part of the United States' desperate struggle to cover up its failure," reacted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai.

Determined to retaliate, Iran warned the United States that it should now expect a "new strategy" aimed at "breaking the foundations" of the enemy, without detailing its outlines.

He also issued a new warning to "any country cooperating with the aggressive US military".

In Bahrain, Ghizlan Saad recounts being woken up by sirens, as were her two children, "bringing back memories of the attacks and the fear".

"I hope the situation will be resolved quickly, especially since we have just started the new school year," she told AFP.

In Jordan, the army announced that it had destroyed ten missiles fired from Iran, adding that three others had crashed away from populated areas, without causing any injuries.

Kuwait reported a fire in a residential complex in the capital after a drone attack, while in Iraq explosions were expected in Erbil, where the Revolutionary Guards said they attacked US bases.

"When will he rise up?"

In the Strait of Hormuz, strategic for the transport of hydrocarbons and blocked by Iran since the beginning of the war, two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines, according to Tehran.

On Monday, two Filipino sailors were killed in the attack on a Saudi oil tanker, according to the Saudi state-owned shipping company Bahri.

While the war has shaken the global economy, hydrocarbon prices have surged after this latest exchange of strikes, with Brent rising above the $90 mark for the first time since the end of July.

Hormuz is at the heart of the conflict: Iran wants to impose service charges in this maritime route, where navigation was previously free. Washington firmly refuses.

The United States, in turn, imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. They also recently decided to increase economic pressure by announcing secondary sanctions against Iran's trading partners, intended to cripple the country.

According to Donald Trump, the Iranian economy is "completely collapsing." "When will the Iranian people rise up and fight?" he asked.

Iranian authorities on Tuesday called for a reduction in gasoline consumption in the country, as Tehran faces import difficulties due to the US blockade.