by Our Correspondent in Doha
Iran has reportedly inflicted heavy losses on U.S. forces after retaliating for the weekend’s joint Israeli-American strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that at least 200 American service members were killed or injured in missile attacks on multiple U.S. military facilities across the region.
The retaliatory strikes followed a preemptive operation launched by Israel with U.S. backing in the early hours of Saturday, which targeted what officials described as Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. President Donald Trump confirmed that the White House supported the strikes, citing stalled nuclear diplomacy as a key factor prompting the military action.
IRGC General Ebrahim Jabbari warned that the Islamic Republic is prepared for a prolonged conflict, highlighting Tehran’s advanced missile capabilities. “At the start of the war we will strike everything we have in our stockpiles,” Jabbari said, pledging even more powerful missile attacks in the coming days. He added that Iran would reveal weapon systems that have been “put to rest in brine” until now, signaling a possible escalation in the conflict.
Iran’s missile attacks reportedly targeted major U.S. military facilities, including the Fifth Fleet support center in Bahrain, bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, Muwaffaq Al Salti Air Base in Jordan, and Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Israeli news outlets also reported that around 35 missiles were launched toward Israel, causing at least one injury.
This latest confrontation marks the second major Israeli-led campaign against Iran in less than a year. In June 2025, during a 12-day conflict, Israeli Defense Forces and U.S. military units conducted surprise bombings on Iranian military and nuclear sites, killing senior commanders, government officials, and nuclear scientists, intensifying the regional security crisis.
Analysts warn that the combination of U.S. casualties, Iranian missile strikes, and prior Israeli operations could signal a dangerous escalation with no clear endpoint, raising fears of a prolonged conflict that could destabilize the entire Middle East.
