The United States military has conducted strikes on Iran for the seventh consecutive night, continuing operations after President Donald Trump declared a temporary ceasefire agreement was "over." The US military's Central Command stated that the strikes are intended to "continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction."
These actions come amid escalating tensions, particularly concerning the vital Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Shipping traffic in the strait has largely halted due to the ongoing exchanges between US and Iranian forces.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards initially claimed that two oil tankers had exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after passing through a mined area. However, Central Command later dismissed this claim as false, posting on X that "Like most IRGC claims, this is false." Iranian state media had reported the explosions and fire involving the tankers on a mined route south of the strait.
Explosions were reportedly heard in Iran's central city of Yazd, as well as on Qeshm island and at the port of Bandar Abbas, which is adjacent to the strait. Images shared on Friday showed damage to the Gariveh Bridge in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, with daylight views revealing a crumbled section of road. Provincial authorities in Hormozgan stated that seven people were killed in attacks on the region.
A White House spokesperson affirmed that the US strikes were "exclusively on military targets, including military logistics infrastructure," denying Tehran's earlier assertions that civilian infrastructure, such as bridges, a train station, and an airport, had been hit.
On Friday, Iran's armed forces also claimed to have attacked multiple US military facilities across the Gulf region, including in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, and for the first time, Syria. The US denied these claims.
Earlier reports indicated that Kuwaiti officials stated Iranian drone strikes had injured several of their soldiers and damaged a power plant and water desalination stations. Sources also informed that several American service members were injured during Iranian attacks on two Jordanian bases in the past week.
Friday marked one week since the start of nightly US attacks, following the collapse of peace talks with Iran. Tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have significantly hampered efforts to broker a permanent ceasefire.
