DUBAI: Iran launched fresh missile and drone attacks on US military facilities across the Gulf on Friday, following a sixth consecutive night of American airstrikes on Iranian military targets, deepening tensions and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
The US military said its latest operations targeted Iranian military infrastructure on Qeshm Island and near Bandar Abbas, home to Iran’s largest commercial port and key naval and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) installations.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the overnight operation involved fighter aircraft, drones and warships that carried out precision strikes on dozens of military targets, including coastal surveillance systems, air defence sites, logistics infrastructure and maritime assets, with the aim of further degrading Iran’s military capabilities.
In response, Iran said it launched missile and drone attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait early Friday. Iran has also targeted US bases in neighbouring countries, including an airbase in Jordan, in recent days.
Residents in Qatar reported hearing several explosion-like sounds in the capital, Doha, while the country’s Interior Ministry confirmed that a child was injured by shrapnel.
Iranian state media also reported that US strikes hit five bridges, the railway station in *Bandar Khamir, and *Iranshahr Airport in southeastern Iran. State news agency IRNA said seven people were killed in attacks on bridges in Bandar Khamir. Reuters said it could not independently verify those reports.
The renewed hostilities have once again disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil and gas transit route, sending global energy prices higher. Tehran has resumed its blockade of the strategic waterway, while Washington has tightened restrictions on Iranian ports since Wednesday.
According to Reuters sources, Iran has also signalled that it could encourage its Houthi allies in Yemen to target the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea if US attacks continue. Iran reportedly targeted vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz last week.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump would not tolerate attacks on international shipping and warned that Iran would face consequences for actions disrupting maritime traffic. However, she added that the US president remained open to diplomatic engagement.
Iranian officials told Reuters that while Tehran seeks to assert greater control over the Strait of Hormuz, it does not want a broader escalation that could undermine last month’s memorandum of understanding, which it believes largely met its strategic objectives.
Inside Iran, the renewed air campaign has heightened public anxiety.
“Living with this fear that war could start again is very exhausting. You cannot live like this. Personally, I want diplomacy to prevail,” a 46-year-old government employee in Tehran told Reuters.
Iran has proposed requiring all ships using the Strait of Hormuz to pass through a channel closer to its coastline and plans to introduce transit fees after a 60-day negotiation period outlined in last month’s agreement.
The United States has encouraged commercial shipping to use alternative routes along Oman’s coastline while continuing military operations aimed at weakening Iran’s ability to control the strategic waterway.
Iranian Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia dismissed the US strategy, saying Iran could strike the Strait of Hormuz from anywhere within its territory.
President Donald Trump has also indicated that he has not ruled out deploying ground forces, including a possible operation to seize Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal. He has further warned that Iranian power plants and bridges could become targets if Tehran refuses to return to negotiations.
Story by Reuters
