In a statement released on Wednesday, the Iranian Army said the eighth phase of Operation Thunderbolt was launched in the early hours of the day following renewed US attacks against Iran.
According to the statement, the operation involved a new wave of drone strikes against US military bases in the region, with loitering attack drones targeting the areas where F/A-18 fighter jets were stationed as well as large equipment hangars at the US Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan. The Army said the facility had been struck for the second time.
The statement said the Iranian Army would continue to defend the country's security and territorial integrity with determination, vowing that no threat would go unanswered.
It added that Iran's military capabilities are not intended to initiate war but are maintained to safeguard the country's independence and territorial integrity with unwavering resolve.