US, Iran Escalate Conflict, Target Infrastructure

The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran, to which Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait. This marks a risky escalation with both sides targeting infrastructure. In the contested Strait of Hormuz, US Marines boarded a tanker, and another ship was reportedly hit by a projectile. A separate incident off Yemen involving armed men boarding a vessel is being investigated as possible Somali piracy. The US and Iran are testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire agreement collapsed last week. US President Donald Trump has threatened broad-based air strikes on Iran's infrastructure and has not ruled out a ground assault. He also stated the US is reinstating a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump has claimed major success in the Iran operation. Separately, Iran claims it has destroyed a US Special Operations Command Center.

Iran has claimed a major strike on the US Al Tanf Base in Syria, reporting helicopter and aircraft losses. These claims come as Iran launched what it termed the "12th Wave of Operation Saeqah" against US attacks. In response, the US military has claimed that Iranian attacks failed.

Iran launched fresh attacks on US facilities in the Gulf on Friday, following a sixth consecutive night of US strikes on Iranian military facilities. The US and Iran are engaged in escalating daily attacks, which have led to halted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and rising energy prices.

US strikes targeted Iranian military sites, including Qeshm Island and areas near Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s largest port and key navy and Revolutionary Guards facilities. The US military stated it completed another night of strikes "to further degrade Iranian military capabilities." US Central Command reported that US forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, launched precision munitions that hit dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities.

In retaliation, Iran fired missiles and drones at US military bases in neighboring states, including an air base in Jordan. In the early hours of Friday, Iran’s military said it had attacked US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

US strikes in Iran reportedly hit an airport, bridges, and a railway station. Explosion-like sounds were heard in the Qatari capital Doha, with reports of a child injured by shrapnel. Iranian media reported that five bridges were hit in the latest round of US strikes, as well as the train station in coastal Bandar Khamir and Iranshahr Airport in southeastern Iran. Reports indicate seven people were killed in US attacks on bridges in Bandar Khamir, while other reports mentioned three killed and three injured in the same area. Communication towers and electricity supply were also interrupted in Bandar Abbas, and its railway station was targeted, with two people reportedly injured.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to block more vital seaways. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that recent attacks on Iran were in response to violations of agreements. She added that Iran is still in contact with the US and that there is division within the Iranian leadership, with President Trump reportedly ready for a diplomatic solution.

Iran launched fresh attacks on US facilities in the Gulf on Friday, following a sixth consecutive night of US strikes on Iranian military facilities. This marks a continued escalation after a previous truce.

In the early hours of Friday, Iran’s military stated it had attacked US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Reports from Doha indicated explosion-like sounds, with one child reportedly injured by shrapnel.

Iranian media also reported that five bridges were hit in the latest round of US strikes, along with a train station in coastal Bandar Khamir and Iranshahr Airport in southeastern Iran. State news agency IRNA reported that seven people were killed in US attacks on bridges in Bandar Khamir.

The escalation has again largely halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for oil and gas, leading to increased global energy prices. Tehran has resumed its blockade of the strait, and Washington has again blockaded Iranian ports since Wednesday. Sources indicate Iran has signaled it could prompt Houthi forces in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait if Washington targets Iran’s infrastructure. Iran also reportedly hit ships moving through a corridor in the Strait of Hormuz last week.

The US military has completed its sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran, carried out under President Donald Trump’s direction. US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, launched precision munitions that hit dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities. Targets included Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island.

Iranian news outlets also reported US strikes on three bridges and a train station in coastal Bandar Khamir, and a missile attack on Iranshahr Airport, though these reports could not be immediately verified. In response, Tehran launched missiles and drones at US military bases in neighboring states, including an air base in Jordan, which Iran claimed was used in a US attack on an Iranian children’s cancer hospital. President Trump this week reiterated threats to hit Iranian energy targets and also threatened to target bridges next week.