Iran fires missiles at Syria militants

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched six ballistic missiles as well as drone bombers early Monday toward eastern Syria, targeting militants it blamed for an attack on a military parade last month while also threatening regional adversaries as Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers unravels.

The missiles had enough range to strike regional U.S. military bases and targets inside Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran’s supreme leader has called out the two Arab nations, accusing them of being behind the Sept. 22 attack on the parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, something denied by both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

Monday’s strike was the second missile attack by Iran in a month’s time, and came as tensions rise ahead of renewed U.S. sanctions targeting Tehran’s oil industry that will take effect in early November.

“This is the roaring of missiles belonging to the Revolutionary Guard of the Islamic Revolution,” a state TV reporter said as the missiles launched behind him. “In a few minutes, the world of arrogance — especially America, the [Israeli] Zionist regime and the Al Saud — will hear the sound of Iran’s repeated blows.”

Al Saud is a reference to Saudi Arabia’s royal family.

Iranian state TV and the staterun IRNA news agency said the missiles “killed and wounded” militants in Syria, without elaborating.

“Terrorists used bullets in Ahvaz,” Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, chief of the Guard’s aerospace division, told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. “We answered them with missiles.”

The U.S. military’s Central Command acknowledged that Iranian forces conducted “nonotice strikes” in the area.

“The coalition is still assessing if any damage occurred, and no coalition forces were in danger,” U.S. Army Col. Sean Ryan said.

One missile shown on Iranian state television bore the slogans “Death to America, Death to Israel, Death to Al Saud.”