Tehran, Sep 9: Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced early Wednesday that its aerospace forces have attacked a US air base in Jordan in retaliation for US “aggressive” attacks against Iranian oil tankers.

The IRGC said in a statement that it struck a hangar for the maintenance, repair, preparation and deployment of the US Army’s F-35, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets and a shelter for the US fighter aircraft at the Al-Azraq Air Base, “inflicting heavy damage on the enemy.”

Jordan’s military said on Wednesday that its air defence systems have destroyed 18 of 20 Iranian ballistic missiles, reports Xinhua news agency.

Two missiles fell in unpopulated areas, causing no casualties, it said.

Earlier, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the United States military has destroyed five Iranian crude oil tankers after the IRGC twice targeted an American warship with ballistic missiles.

The strikes were carried out Tuesday (Local time) in the Gulf of Oman and near Iran’s Kharg Island, an important hub for the country’s oil exports.

CENTCOM said the American warship successfully evaded both attempted attacks, which occurred over the previous two days. No US personnel were injured.

The military command identified the tankers destroyed in the Gulf of Oman as M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1 and M/T Riesco. A fifth tanker, M/T Derya, was attacked near Kharg Island.

US forces instructed the crews to abandon the ships before striking them and rendering the vessels inoperable, according to CENTCOM. The military did not report any casualties among the tanker crews.

CENTCOM described the vessels as crude oil carriers operated by the IRGC and said they formed part of a multibillion-dollar network used to finance the Iranian military organisation and its regional proxies.

The US military did not disclose which American warship Iran allegedly targeted, where the attempted attacks occurred or how many ballistic missiles were fired.

The latest operation marked the second US attack on Iranian oil tankers in four days.

Tehran, Sep 9: The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that its forces captured one of the US Army’s “most modern, smart” unmanned submarines at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement published on the IRGC’s official news outlet, Sepah News, on Tuesday (local time), the IRGC navy said the unmanned underwater vehicle was captured in a complex intelligence and operational operation.

The submersible vehicle, identified as a Dive-LD, is equipped with the world’s most modern subsurface vehicle technology, it said, noting that its images will be released in the coming hours.

The IRGC also said in a separate statement on Tuesday that its air defence systems had shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz, reports Xinhua, quoting Sepah News.

Following the IRGC’s announcement, the US military said in a statement that one of its underwater drones “malfunctioned” over a day earlier during a survey of regional waters, without mentioning whether the device was seized by Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that the country will continue its resistance with strength until the “aggressors” are brought to complete regret.

In a post on social media platform X, he also highlighted Iran’s opposition to war.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been opposed to war and considered the preservation of the people’s interests and ensuring the (West Asia) region’s security to lie in refraining from warmongering,” Pezeshkian said.

“However, just as it has courageously risen to defend against aggression up to this day, Iran will continue this resistance with strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret, and will remain the guardian of the rights of the great Iranian people,” he added.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending the war in the region. Under the MoU, they were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on August 17, to reach a final agreement, but the talks’ fate remains unclear following the recent escalations between the two countries.

Paris, Sep 9: British, French, and Canadian leaders issued a joint statement affirming their “commitment to protect the two-state solution” in the face of the “systematic expansion” of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is critical for peace, stability and security in the Middle East and beyond,” and the settlements “pose a direct and urgent threat to that vision for peace,” British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in the joint statement on Tuesday (local time).

“Settlements are illegal under international law,” they said, condemning the Israeli government’s latest decision to progress the E1 settlement, and the “dramatic increase in settler violence.”

The three countries will therefore ban the importation of goods from settlements and enforce targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them or profit from them, reports Xinhua news agency, citing the joint statement.

The three leaders also reiterated their desire for a close and productive partnership with Israel. “We support a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a safe and secure Palestine,” they said.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over escalating Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon that have killed civilians, displaced thousands and destroyed a hospital, said his spokesperson.

“The secretary-general said he was particularly alarmed by reports of Israeli strikes affecting hospitals, healthcare workers and public institutions, along with restrictions on humanitarian access,” said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson.

Dujarric said the UN chief is concerned about attacks over the weekend through Monday, particularly in Nabatieh governorate.

The spokesperson said that while the attacks occurred outside the area of operations of the UN peacekeepers, known as UNIFIL, the peacekeepers monitored developments closely and expressed concern over the broader deterioration of the security situation.

Dujarric said UNIFIL recorded a significant increase in Israeli military activity, including ground operations, projectile fire, airstrikes and violations of Lebanon’s airspace.