The United States military launched airstrikes on Iran today, targeting the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in what it described as retaliation for the killing of American troops in Jordan. In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it struck Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites. It also said, for the first time, the operation specifically targeted the Guard, a key power base in Iran’s theocracy that controls its ballistic missile arsenal. Iran has not provided an overall information on its materiel losses in the American campaign, which has now entered its eighth day. The two sides continue to battle over control of the Strait of Hormuz. On the other hand, IRGC has said, it has intercepted and shot down the United States’ MQ-9 drone in Iran’s Ahvaz. Commander of the central Khatam al‑Anbiya headquarters, Major General Ali Abdollahi, has warned that Iran’s Armed Forces will give a devastating response to the US for any act of aggression. Iran also has stepped up its threats to further expand the strikes, drawing a warning overnight from the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait again activated its air defences this morning, as its military warned of incoming Iranian drones and missiles.