Lead
As the United States escalates its strikes on Iran, Tehran is hitting back, targeting military and civilian infrastructure across the Gulf states and Jordan while avoiding attacks on US naval assets deployed near its coast and on Israel – a strategy that analysts say is intended to pressure US President Donald Trump without expanding the scope of the war, according to Al Jazeera.
Coverage Comparison
Al Jazeera’s reporting presents a detailed picture of the ongoing conflict, drawing on statements from Iranian officials, military analysts, and unnamed sources. The outlet emphasizes that Washington has struck railway stations, power facilities, telecommunications networks, and drinking-water infrastructure in Iran, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has responded by attacking civilian airports and water and power stations in Kuwait and Bahrain.
A separate Al Jazeera report focuses on the potential for a major US-Israel offensive against Iran’s civilian infrastructure, citing major US media outlets that suggest the US and Israel may be imminently launching an extensive wave of attacks, including on power plants and petrochemical manufacturers. The report notes that President Trump has yet to give final authorisation on an operation that could potentially last up to two weeks and aim to cut electricity across Tehran.
Key Claims
Iran’s attacks on Gulf states and Jordan are presented as retaliation for US strikes on Iranian territory. Iranian officials argue that US operations were launched from military bases on Gulf territory, giving Iran the right to respond under international law, as Al Jazeera reports. However, Gulf states have repeatedly insisted that they will not allow their territories to be used to launch attacks against Iran, a claim that has deepened estrangement between Tehran and its neighbours.
Iran has deliberately avoided attacking US naval assets, according to military analysts cited by Al Jazeera. Retired Lebanese Brigadier General Elias Hanna explained that targeting such assets “would bring a devastating US response” and noted the difficulty of striking protected assets with sophisticated air defence systems.
Iran has also emphasized its intention to retain the Strait of Hormuz as strategic leverage in dealing with the US offensive, a stance reported by Al Jazeera.
The US military attacked at least five Iranian provinces overnight into Thursday, according to Al Jazeera, which also reported that Iran has prepared an extensive plan of retaliation to potential US attacks, as cited from an unnamed source via the Iranian state-linked Tasnim news website.
In a statement on Saturday, Major General Ali Abdollahi, head of Iran’s wartime military command, warned that the US is “fanning the flames of a full-scale regional war” and cautioned regional neighbours that any country serving as a “defensive shield for criminal, aggressor America will burn in the fire of war.” He called on Muslim countries to “monitor America’s crimes and reconsider their cooperation and alignment with the US.”
Perspectives
Iranian government: Tehran justifies its attacks on Gulf states as retaliation for US operations launched from bases on their territory, citing international law, and warns neighbours against cooperating with the US. It also claims to have prepared an extensive retaliation plan against potential US strikes.
Gulf states: Gulf states have repeatedly insisted they will not allow their territories to be used for attacks against Iran, rejecting the Iranian justification and seeking to distance themselves from the conflict.
Military analysts: Analysts suggest Iran’s strategy of avoiding US naval assets is calculated to prevent a devastating US response, while targeting Gulf infrastructure serves to pressure Washington without escalating the war.
United States (as reported by Al Jazeera): The US has conducted strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, and reports indicate it may be planning an extensive wave of attacks, though final authorisation has not been given.