As the Iran-US war entered its fifth day, the world is witnessing tragic consequences, both in the Gulf countries and on sea trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Wednesday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Council claimed that the entire Strait of Hormuz is under the control of its navy and no vessel would be allowed to pass through.
IRGC claimed it fired more than 40 missiles on Israel and Gulf countries, while Israel has ordered people living in 16 villages and towns in southern Lebanon to evacuate to safer places. Israel bombed a hotel in Beirut on Wednesday causing heavy losses.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed, it has fired 230 drones at several facilities hosting American troops in the Middle East, including a base in Erbil, Iraq and Ali Al Salem air base and camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
More than 50 people have been killed and 335 others injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon till now.
Petrol and gas prices have jumped 50 pc in the US, while price of crude in Europe has gone up by 40 pc. Liquiefied Natural Gas prices have shot up by 33 per cent. The price of Brent crude has touched its highest level in last 20 months in world market.
US President Donald Trump has claimed that the US forces have destroyed Iran’s missile attack capability and its air defence systems, but facts belie much of these claims. Trump also claimed that all Iranian navy warships have been sunk. He claimed Iranian leaders want talks to resume, but said, “it is now too late”.
Trump says, Operation Epic Fury will end only after the US objectives are achieved. The timeline that Trump has given may extend up to four or five weeks.
American army used missiles, attack drones, fighter jets to attack Iran’s air defence systems, missile launch facilities, drone launch centers, military bases and command control centres.
America and Israel bombed Tehran, Isfahan, Bushahr, Natnz, Shiraz and Tabrez in Iran causing widespread damage. The presidential palace in Tehran was bombed on Tuesday.
In Qom, where a meeting of Islamic clerics was scheduled to elect the new supreme leader, Israel and US bombers attacked the location. B-1 bombers, F-18 fighter jets and Reaper drones are being used in attacks on Iran.
The US Central Command said, B-2 stealth bombers, Lucas suicide drones, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22 and F-35 jets are being used to attack Iran, while P8i Orion aircraft, EA-15G Awacs planes are being used for surveillance.
Iran is using short range missiles and drones to attack US bases and other civilian locations in Gulf countries. Though Israel claims it has neutralized most of these missiles, there has been widespread damage in Tel Aviv.
Iran’s focus is on US allies apart from civilian and military locations where Americans stay in the Gulf. It is using drones and missiles to attack these locations.
Iran’s strategy is clear. It is unleashing barrages of missiles and drones so that Gulf allies can pressurize the US to stop the conflict.
In this conflict, the US has kept Israel in the forefront. The first attacks were carried out by Israel and its greatest success was the elimination of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The decision to assassinate Khamenei was political and it surprised the rest of the world. But more surprising is how Israeli air force managed to locate Khamenei.
Israeli intelligence hacked the security cameras in the parking lot near Khamenei’s residence, where his bodyguards and drivers of armoured vehicles used to park. They were under constant surveillance of Israeli intelligence.
Traffic cameras at several key locations of Tehran were hacked by Israelis and the images were being sent straight to servers based in Israel, where skilled Israeli intelligence officers used to sift through them.
It was because of this constant surveillance that Mossad knew when Ayatollah Khameini would reach his office for the ill-fated meeting when Israeli Air Force unleashed its Sparrow missiles.