WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that 18 people were killed in recent US strikes on Iran, while Tehran warned that any future attack would face an “asymmetric” and “multi-layered” response.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump clarified earlier comments by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, saying Lutnick had been referring to Venezuela when he stated that nobody had been killed.
Iranian state media initially reported that seven people were killed and eight wounded in US missile strikes on three locations in the southwestern province of Khuzestan. Iran’s health minister later raised the reported death toll to 18, saying 108 people had also been injured in the latest wave of US attacks across the country.
Separately, Iranian reports said six members of the country’s naval forces were killed in US attacks on Tuesday amid renewed fighting.
Meanwhile, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned that Tehran’s response to any future US attack would be “asymmetric” and “multi-layered.”
Aref said the recent US strikes had changed Iran’s security calculations and defence doctrine. He warned that future responses would target the security of those responsible for attacks against Iran.
He also warned of potential economic consequences for the United States, urging Washington to consider the impact of the conflict on fuel supplies and the wider economy.
Meanwhile, the Iranian army said it had carried out missile and drone strikes against US military bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the Iranian military, the strikes were conducted early Thursday as part of the 31st phase of its Operation Saeqeh and were described as retaliation for recent US attacks on Iran.
The Iranian army claimed that missiles and drones targeted satellite communications systems, equipment warehouses and fighter jet hangars at Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait.
In the UAE, Iranian forces said US troop positions and radar systems at Al Minhad Air Base were targeted.
The Iranian military vowed to continue operations in response to US military actions against Iran.
