US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Iran was plotting to assassinate him, saying he was “on every single one of their list” and accusing Tehran of seeking to target the US leadership.“They want to take out the US Leader. I’m on every single one of their list. So far, I’ve had a bit of luck, but maybe it won’t last. They’re evil and sick people, and we must get rid of this cancer,” Trump said. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of this year’s Nato summit in Ankara, Trump said the United States’ memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tehran “is over” following a fresh wave of US strikes on Iran overnight.The remarks came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had carried out a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday. CENTCOM said they launched the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.” US forces said the strikes targeted Iranian air defence systems, radar installations and more than 60 small boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bandar Mahshahr, where a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed. It also reported strikes on Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex.According to the US military, the strikes were carried out in retaliation for Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.In response to the US strikes, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to Iran’s state-affiliated Fars News Agency.Both Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and Kuwait, home to US Army forces, issued missile alerts on Wednesday morning. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later confirmed that it had targeted US military installations in both countries.Kuwaiti authorities said they intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones launched by Iran. The country’s Electricity Ministry added that several power lines were knocked out after being hit by falling missile debris.The latest escalation follows a similar exchange late last month, when Iranian attacks on commercial shipping prompted US retaliatory strikes, which were followed by Iranian attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait.
