The US military carried out its seventh night of strikes on Iran, continuing operations since President Donald Trump declared the temporary ceasefire agreement “over” last week.
US Central Command (Centcom) said its forces hit surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage, and maritime capabilities. Centcom said it ended its strikes at 21:30 ET (02:30 BST) after several hours, employing fighter aircraft, aerial drones, warships and other assets. Iranian state media reported explosions in the central city of Yazd and at Qeshm island and the port of Bandar Abbas, next to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Retaliates Against US Allies in the Region
Iran said it responded by targeting US allies in the region, including Kuwait, which reported that another of its power and water plants had been hit, following a similar attack the previous day. Kuwait’s ministry of electricity and water said another electricity and water distillation plant was targeted in a hostile attack that sparked a fire in one of the plant’s components, deactivating some power generation units.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted 10 Iranian missiles fired into its airspace overnight, with no damage reported. Bahrain said its air defences had thwarted Iranian attacks as well.
How the Ceasefire Collapsed
The US and Iran agreed to stop fighting in June to allow talks aimed at ending the war. The ceasefire was largely observed, though Iran carried out attacks on oil tankers to force ships to comply with Tehran’s demands that vessels seek authorisation before crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Those Iranian attacks on shipping were followed by US strikes against Iran. Talks ultimately made no headway, and Trump declared the ceasefire over last week.
Since then, in addition to striking Iranian sites, the US has re-imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping, and traffic through it has largely stopped. A fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas once transited through the strait, and Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, has said he has concerns about global energy supplies.
Conflicting Claims Over Tanker Attacks and Civilian Damage
The US military denied a report from Iran’s Fars news agency claiming two oil tankers exploded and caught fire while passing through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz. Centcom said the claim, like most from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, was false.
On Friday, Iran’s armed forces claimed to have attacked multiple US military facilities across the Gulf region, including in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan and, for the first time, Syria, claims the US denied. Sources told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that several American service members were injured during Iranian attacks on two Jordanian bases over the past week.
The US has also denied Tehran’s earlier claims that it attacked civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges, a train station and an airport. BBC Verify and BBC Persian have verified footage showing damage to Gariveh Bridge, with nighttime video showing flames atop the structure and daylight images showing a collapsed stretch of road surrounded by rubble. Provincial authorities in Hormozgan province, where the bridge is located, said seven people were killed in the attacks.
A White House spokesperson told the BBC that the US had carried out strikes exclusively on military targets, including military logistics infrastructure. The US also said it destroyed a control tower at the port of Chabahar, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sharing footage of the tower collapsing under the strike. Centcom said the tower was part of an IRGC maritime surveillance network.
