미, 이란군 호르무즈 감시탑 파괴...이란, 상선 공격으로 맞불 / YTN

[Anchor] As the armed conflict between the United States and Iran escalates, the clouds of war are gathering in the Middle East. The U.S. has targeted Iranian mainland infrastructure and watchtowers in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran has retaliated by attacking U.S. allies in the region and merchant ships traversing the strait. We connect to Washington. Correspondent Shin Yun-jeong! U.S. airstrikes against Iran have been continuing for a week; are you saying they have targeted the core capabilities of the Iranian military? [Reporter] The U.S. military began nighttime airstrikes against Iran about two hours ago, marking the seventh consecutive day of such operations. The airstrikes resumed at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Friday, which is 10:30 PM Friday night in Tehran, Iran. They stated that during the airstrikes the previous day, they destroyed port watchtowers that serve as the "eyes" of the Iranian military. The U.S. Central Command announced that it had "successfully destroyed watchtowers at the port of Chabahar along the Gulf of Oman coast" and released footage of the airstrike. The Central Command explained that these watchtowers had been used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for decades to target merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Central Command claimed that the destruction of the watchtowers has weakened the IRGC's ability to attack civilian vessels. The U.S. military also stated that "logistical support infrastructure" was included in the targets of the airstrike that lasted for 7 hours and 40 minutes the previous day; this appears to refer to the attacks on various bridges, railway facilities, and roads leading to nearby provinces around the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. It appears the military moved to cut off transport networks connecting Bandar Abbas—a key stronghold housing the IRGC naval base that controls Hormuz—with inland areas such as Tehran. Although there are other alternative routes, this could be interpreted as a step toward neutralizing control of Hormuz, given that it could disrupt the movement of military supplies. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to launch attacks on infrastructure to weaken Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz. [Donald Trump / U.S. President (Interview with Fox News on the 14th): We will attack power plants, and next week we will attack bridges. If they do not come to the negotiating table and negotiate, we will tear down all their power plants and destroy all their bridges.] The U.S. military is continuing its naval blockade against Iran while simultaneously blocking Iran's crude oil export routes. It is reported that the deployment of ground troops to targets such as Kharg Island, which houses Iran's crude oil export facilities, is not being ruled out. [Anchor] In response, Iran is countering by controlling the Strait of Hormuz, but I understand they have also launched attacks against mediating nations? [Reporter] Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing informed sources, that a Thai-flagged vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. It stated that the attack occurred because the vessel attempted to pass through without permission, ignoring warnings from the Revolutionary Guard Navy. The reason the U.S. resumed airstrikes was due to Iran's attacks on merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and this is interpreted as a declaration that Iran will remain unconcerned by the U.S. airstrikes that have continued for a week. Iran stated that it would continue its attacks until U.S. airstrikes cease and pressure surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is lifted. [Ebrahim Zolfaghari / Iranian Military Spokesperson: We will not allow the United States, an external foreign state, to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz under any circumstances or in any manner. This is Iran's inviolable red line.] In addition to attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Gulf states, Iran also carried out missile attacks on Qatar, one of the key mediators in the peace negotiations. In Iran's attack on Kuwait, significant damage was also inflicted on power plants and seawater desalination facilities. Kuwait relies on desalination facilities for approximately 90% of its drinking water... (excerpt) YTN Shin Yun-jeong ([email protected]) ▶ Original Article: https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0104_202607... ▶ Report a Tip: https://mj.ytn.co.kr/mj/mj_write.php ▣ Subscribe to YTN YouTube Channel: http://goo.gl/Ytb5SZ ⓒ YTN Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution, and use of AI data are prohibited.