The United States has launched a fresh wave of military strikes on Iran, marking the sixth consecutive night of attacks as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate over the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes targeted Iranian military assets to further weaken the country’s military capabilities. It also confirmed that US forces had boarded a vessel as part of an ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.
Iranian authorities, however, accused the United States of hitting civilian infrastructure, including bridges, a railway station and an airport.
Iran reports civilian casualties
Iranian state media and provincial officials said the latest strikes damaged several civilian facilities in Hormozgan Province.
BBC Verify confirmed damage to the Gariveh Bridge, west of Bandar Abbas, after analysing footage from the area.
Provincial authorities said seven people were killed in the attacks, while reports also indicated power outages following damage to electricity infrastructure.
Iranian media said additional strikes hit Khuzestan, Bushehr, Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchestan provinces.
Iran claims retaliatory attacks
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they responded by targeting US maritime surveillance radar sites in Oman and military targets in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The IRGC also claimed it attacked a US special operations command centre at al-Tanf in Syria in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers earlier this week.
Neither the United States nor Syrian authorities immediately commented on the claim.
Jordan’s military later announced that it intercepted three Iranian missiles, adding that no casualties or damage were recorded.
In Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, eight people were killed in Sulaymaniyah, while Kurdish authorities blamed Iran for the attack. Kurdish forces also reported shooting down eight drones over Erbil without casualties.
Strait of Hormuz remains closed
The conflict has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed after Iran blocked the strategic waterway in response to earlier US and Israeli strikes.
The disruption has affected global oil shipments and raised concerns about energy supplies.
International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol warned that prolonged instability could have serious consequences for global energy markets.
“We should be worried, and I am worried, if the situation does not improve in the next few weeks,” he said.
China and Pakistan also called on both countries to halt hostilities and return to negotiations.
US says blockade continues
Centcom said US Marines boarded an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman and redirected three commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade.
The command said its forces had previously disabled nine ships and redirected more than 140 vessels during an earlier blockade of Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a tanker sailing near Khasab in Oman was struck by an unidentified projectile on Thursday. All crew members were reported safe.
Diplomatic efforts continue
Despite the escalating conflict, the White House said President Donald Trump remains open to negotiations with Tehran.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran had expressed interest in reaching an agreement but warned that the US would respond to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tehran would only honour agreements that served its national interests and insisted the country’s security depended on maintaining its position in the strategic waterway.
The renewed fighting comes days after President Trump welcomed the reported release of US detainee Dena Karari. However, Iran’s judiciary later denied that any American prisoner had been released or exchanged.
