US confirms striking Iran in ‘self defense,’ says it ‘does not seek escalation’

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

The American military confirms carrying out “self-defense” strikes in Iran in response to “unprovoked Iranian attacks” against US Navy missile destroyers that transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman.

“Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage,” US Central Command says in a statement.

CENTCOM says it intercepted the “inbound threats,” and “no US assets were struck.”

In response, CENTCOM says it targeted Iranian military facilities “responsible for attacking US forces.” The targets included “missile and drone launch sites, command and control locations, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance nodes,” according to CENTCOM.

“CENTCOM does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces,” the statement adds.

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