Iran says it hit Israeli-linked ship near Strait of Hormuz

Iran's Armed Forces Central Headquarters said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces struck an Israeli-linked container ship near the Strait of Hormuz as part of a new wave of missile and drone attacks targeting US and Israeli-linked sites across the region.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) news agency published a statement from IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari saying that the strikes were carried out early Tuesday as part of the 99th wave of the "True Promise 4" operation in response to attacks on Iran's infrastructure.

It said the Israeli vessel was transporting military equipment when it was struck.

The statement said US bases and interests in the region as well as locations described as Israeli military targets were also struck using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and attack drones.

According to the statement, major petrochemical facilities linked to US companies including Sadara, ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical in al-Jubail as well as a Chevron Phillips complex in al-Juaymah in Saudi Arabia were targeted in the initial phase.

It added that multiple locations in central Israel including Rishon LeZion and Petah Tikva as well as areas in the Negev such as Beersheba, Dimona, Arad, Kiryat Gat and Ofakim were also struck.

Separately, Iranian forces carried out drone strikes targeting facilities linked to US forces including a naval maintenance center at Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates and sites at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, the statement said.

Iranian air defense units also intercepted a drone over Tabriz and multiple cruise missiles over Tehran, Hamedan and Qazvin, it added.

The headquarters further warned that Iran would act in a way that would deprive the US and its allies of access to the region's oil and gas resources for years and force their withdrawal.

The headquarters said attacks on Israeli and US-linked targets would continue with greater intensity and scale.