DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East.Back-and-forth attacks, including a day earlier, have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire.But Thursday's appeared bigger all around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S.
Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters, and missiles targeting Kuwait and Qatar.Sirens sounded Thursday afternoon in Jordan as well, where the U.S.has stationed troops and aircraft.An Iranian official accused the U.S.
of launching an airstrike later Thursday targeting the area around Iran's sole nuclear power plant, and other explosions were reported elsewhere in the country during the afternoon.Early Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad after days of public mourning.Khamenei was killed in the opening salvos of the Iran war.The strikes came hours after U.S.
President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of a fragile ceasefire and threatened to escalate the conflict if they didn't stop.That raised concerns that the region could tip back into a war that would engulf several countries and could halt energy shipments through the strait that are crucial for the global economy.In Iran, the two days of American airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded another 78, Iran's Health Ministry said Thursday.
Most were reportedly members of the armed forces.In Kuwait, the military said falling debris wounded one person as the nation shot down three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 10 drones.Bahrain said it shot down incoming fire, without elaborating, and Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammad al-Momani said all incoming fire from Iran had been intercepted.
Iranian state TV said the country'...