Iran fires on US facilities after sixth night of strikes
File photo: REUTERS
Iran announced that it launched fresh strikes against US facilities in the Middle East on Friday, including its first-ever direct attack in Syria. This escalation follows a sixth consecutive night of US strikes targeting Iranian military installations.
According to reports from the AFP news agency, Iran claimed that 38 people have been killed and over 400 injured in US attacks since 22 June, when the two nations met in Switzerland to discuss a 60-day negotiation period to end the war.
The ceasefire collapsed last week as both sides engaged in tit-for-tat strikes while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to maritime traffic.
US military confirmed another night of operations intended to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said fighter jets, drones, and warships used precision munitions to hit dozens of targets, including coastal surveillance, air defense sites, and naval facilities near Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island.
In retaliation for the killing of soldiers in Iranshahr, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly attacked a US special operations command center in al-Tanf, Syria. Iran also targeted US facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, and fired missiles and drones at bases in neighboring states, including Jordan.
In Qatar, witnesses reported explosion-like sounds in Doha, where the Ministry of the Interior confirmed a child was injured by shrapnel.
The impact on Iranian infrastructure has been significant. Iranian media reported that US strikes hit five bridges, the train station in Bandar Khamir, and Iranshahr Airport. IRNA state news agency reported that seven people died during the attacks on bridges in the port city of Bandar Khamir.
Moreover, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that a civilian was killed in a US strike near the southeastern port of Chabahar.
The renewed hostilities have once again halted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas. While Tehran has resumed its blockade, Washington began blockading Iranian ports on Wednesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Thursday that President Donald Trump would not “sit by and allow these active acts of terrorism to take place in the strait without ensuring Iran pays consequences for that.” However, she added that the president is “always open to diplomacy at the very same time.”
Despite the violence, some Iranian sources suggest Tehran wishes to avoid a full escalation that would destroy the memorandum of understanding reached in June.
However, Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia dismissed the effectiveness of US airstrikes, stating on Thursday that this would not work because Iran could strike the strait from anywhere on its territory.
The ongoing conflict is taking a heavy toll on civilians. Mahlegha, a 46-year-old government employee in Tehran, told Reuters, “Living with this fear that war could start again is very exhausting. You cannot live like this ... Personally, I want diplomacy to prevail.”
Trump has not ruled out using ground forces to seize Kharg Island, the site of Iran’s primary oil export terminal. He has further threatened to target Iranian power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran returns to the negotiating table.
Source: Reuters (adapted)
