By Taibat Ummi Yakubu 

Iran on Wednesday condemned what it described as U.S. military aggression following American strikes on targets in the country, escalating tensions across the Middle East.

In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused the United States of carrying out “brutal” attacks on areas in southern Iran early Wednesday after a U.S. Army Apache helicopter crashed over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night.

The ministry described the strikes as a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

It said the Iranian armed forces responded within the framework of their legitimate right to self-defence, claiming they inflicted significant damage on U.S. military bases and assets across the West Asia region.

Iran also called on neighbouring countries to prevent their territories and facilities from being used to plan, organise or support any hostile actions against the Islamic Republic, warning that such involvement could trigger retaliatory measures.

Amid the growing regional tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts in Turkey and Saudi Arabia to discuss the latest developments, according to the ministry.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had launched missile and drone attacks on U.S. military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command said on social media platform X that its forces had carried out what it described as “self-defence” strikes against Iranian targets in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.

The command said the operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial vessels operating in regional waters.

The latest exchange of attacks marks a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns about broader instability across the region.