US Bombs Iranian Infrastructure as Tehran Retaliates across Persian Gulf

A fresh wave of American airstrikes targeted transport infrastructure and bridges inside Iran on Thursday, prompting Tehran to retaliate by launching attacks against US partners across the Persian Gulf region.

The resumption of hostilities around the economically vital Strait of Hormuz comes barely a month after both nations signed a preliminary agreement intended to resolve the conflict, which originally ignited in late February following heavy US and Israeli air operations in Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed a new round of military operations on Thursday evening, stating the goal was to "further degrade Iranian military capabilities." 

This marked the sixth consecutive night of American bombardment. Iranian state media reported that these latest strikes hit an airport, a railway station, and two bridges located in the southern part of the country, close to the strategic shipping lane that handles a massive portion of global oil and gas transport. 

Local state television channels reported via Telegram that the bridge strikes in Hormozgan province claimed three lives.

Earlier in the day, Tehran’s state television reported two major blasts in the western port city of Bushehr, which hosts Iran’s singular civilian nuclear facility. 

The broadcast described the explosions as a "continuation of the American enemy aggression." 

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani disclosed that the renewed US military campaign has claimed at least 30 lives in Iran since last week.

In response to the escalating situation, Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced they had launched ballistic missiles at a US airbase located in Jordan on Thursday. 

They framed this counterattack as retaliation for a prior American airstrike near a pediatric cancer facility in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. 

State media in Iran reported that the hospital had to be cleared of patients after the US bombardment, which Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei criticized as "barbaric."

Describing the intensity of the localized strikes in Ahvaz, Hani, a 34-year-old local teacher, shared, "My hands are shaking. There were at least 11, 12 explosions. My ears are exploding."

Meanwhile, regional US allies faced immediate fallout from the escalation. 

Early Friday, Kuwaiti authorities reported that their air defense networks were actively intercepting incoming drone and missile salvos, while air raid sirens were activated in neighboring Bahrain.

The renewed maritime tensions have also completely halted shipping. 

While the Strait of Hormuz briefly opened to commercial traffic following the bilateral June agreement, Tehran announced last week that the passage would remain blocked "until the US ends its aggression." 

Concurrently, Washington has re-implemented a naval blockade on Iranian ports. 

The US military confirmed that its naval units had boarded a vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday to "ensure full compliance," reporting that three merchant ships have been intercepted and rerouted since the blockade was reinstated.

Demanding a complete withdrawal of American forces from the Middle East, a senior military spokesperson for Iran declared on state television, "we will never back down over the Strait of Hormuz." 

Another spokesperson for Iran's military headquarters issued a warning that if Washington executes its threats, "all infrastructure in the region" would be "crushed." 

This warning came after Tehran previously stated it would target regional infrastructure if US President Donald Trump targeted domestic power grids and bridges.Diplomatic pathways remain precarious. 

Trump recently threatened to strike Iranian bridges and electrical plants unless Tehran agreed to resume negotiations, asserting on Fox News that "Next week it gets really bad for them."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed reporters on Thursday, stating that Trump would hold Tehran "accountable" for breaching its commitments, while clarifying that the administration still hopes for a peaceful resolution. 

Leavitt commented, "They have expressed they still want to make a deal to the president. We're talking to them, but again, the president is not going to allow them to fire on ships in the strait without paying a consequence for that."

However, Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, cast doubt on the viability of current negotiations, warning that a diplomatic accord "only has meaning when its clauses are valid and being implemented."

As tensions escalate, international mediators are pleading for calm. 

Pakistan's foreign office spokesman, Tahir Andrabi, stated that Islamabad will "continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks" under the framework of the memorandum of understanding they helped negotiate last month.

Source: AFP