US Strikes Iran for Seventh Night; Strait of Hormuz Shipping Halted
Intensified bombardments target military sites, infrastructure, and disrupt global energy transit through critical waterway.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
The US military has executed its seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran, targeting military installations and infrastructure, effectively halting shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Provincial authorities in Hormozgan province confirmed seven fatalities from recent attacks. This marks a direct human cost of the escalating conflict.
The coastal city of Bandar Abbas, a strategic port and headquarters for Iran's navy, bore the brunt of the US assault, experiencing repeated strikes.
Iranian state media reported at least 38 people killed and over 400 wounded since hostilities resumed. New casualties were reported Friday.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned countries hosting US forces to prepare for a response. It claimed attacks on multiple US military facilities across the Gulf region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed targeting US aircraft at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain. This action expanded the regional scope of the conflict.
Beyond these claims, Iraq reported shooting down attack drones over Irbil. Air sirens sounded in Bahrain, indicating a broader pattern of engagement across the Gulf region.
The conflict has involved seven consecutive nights of hostilities. The US military's Central Command (Centcom) stated it hit dozens of targets in its latest bombardments.
This strategic shift followed repeated targeting of Chabahar port, which Iran operates with Indian support. American airstrikes destroyed a tower and a 'completely civilian structure' there.
In a symbolic act, portraits of Donald Trump, his wife, and his children, displayed behind US flag-draped coffins, appeared in Tehran's Palestine Square.
Further afield, Kuwait intercepted Iranian missiles and drones. A water desalination plant was struck, causing a fire and injuring several Kuwaiti troops.
Iran closed the strait to shipping traffic after the war started on February 28. The price of oil rose Friday above $86 a barrel.
Tehran's energy ministry acknowledged attacks on power infrastructure during the US airstrike campaign. It stated power restrictions were necessary in southern provinces.
US officials acknowledged 13 additional US service members were injured since Monday. This directly impacted American personnel.
This disruption extended to air travel. Kuwait Airways rescheduled flights due to operations suspension at the country’s international airport.
The attack hit water desalination pumps in the coastal village of Bunji, destroying the pumping station and a power transformer. This left 10,000 people without water in Jask county.
The IRGC claimed two oil tankers exploded in the Strait of Hormuz while passing through a mined part of the shipping channel. The US military rejected this claim as false.
Iran warned it will return to 'full-scale war' if US strikes continue for another two or three days. This signals a potential for further escalation.
It will return to 'full-scale war' if US strikes continue for another two or three days.
Moreover, the IRGC also claimed it struck an 'intelligence data centre' at Batelco in Bahrain. It also claimed hitting a US naval fuel-support pier at Al Ahmadi Port and a US 'signals and communications centre' in Kuwait.