Arabic version: الولايات المتحدة توسع ضرباتها إلى شمال إيران؛ طهران تستهدف البحرين والكويت والأردن
The US military said it carried out a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian targets, including facilities in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and sites around Tehran, which state media said were hit for the first time in this round of attacks. US Central Command said the operations aimed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and that US aircraft fired missiles into an oil tanker’s smokestack there, disabling the vessel after it ignored multiple warnings.
According to The Guardian, Iran retaliated by launching missiles and drones at US allies Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. The Jordanian military said it shot down eight missiles, and Iran’s army said it used kamikaze drones to target US military communication systems and fuel storage facilities in Jordan. Iranian state media cited explosions in Bandar Abbas, Rask, Chabahar, Ahvaz, Semnan province, Qeshm, Bandar Imam Khomeini and Bushehr.
Iranian officials said US strikes hit an army barracks, killing at least seven troops and wounding hundreds across the country. Iran’s health ministry reported that at least 30 people had been killed and 260 injured in southern Iran in US attacks in recent days. Centcom said the strikes were carried out “at the commander in chief’s direction” to hold Iran accountable.
Why this matters: the strikes affect regional security and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. The US action to disable a tanker attempting to breach a US naval blockade, and the subsequent missile and drone exchanges, coincided with Brent crude trading above $85 a barrel, more than 15% higher than the price before the war, the coverage notes.
Political leaders signalled continued pressure on both sides. President Donald Trump said he did not like giving deadlines when asked about threats to Iranian infrastructure, and Iran’s parliamentary speaker said Iran had “never welcomed war, nor do we now”, urging both armed resistance and the use of diplomacy. The US says it is holding Iran accountable and Tehran has warned it could destroy regional infrastructure if its own is attacked, signalling the likelihood of further strikes and retaliations.
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