US begins ninth night of attacks on Iran as soldier dies in Iraq
CENTCOM said a US service member died during disposal of an unexploded Iranian drone as US forces launched another round of attacks.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
US Central Command said its forces had begun another wave of attacks against Iran, extending US operations into a ninth consecutive night. The announcement came as CENTCOM also confirmed the death of a US service member in northern Iraq during the disposal of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone.
The latest death raised the US military toll in the conflict to 17, according to Al Jazeera. Washington has continued attacks on Iranian-linked targets after strikes on US forces in the region, Al Jazeera reported.
Explosions reported in Iranian cities
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that explosions were heard in five Iranian cities shortly after CENTCOM announced the new wave of attacks. The cities included Tabriz and two key ports, according to Tasnim.
CENTCOM did not immediately provide further details in the update cited by Al Jazeera on the targets, locations or damage from the latest US operations. The attacks were described by CENTCOM as the ninth straight night of operations.
US death in northern Iraq
CENTCOM said the US service member was killed on Saturday in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from an Iranian drone. Al Jazeera reported that the incident brought the US military death toll in the conflict to 17.
The death was announced as tensions with Iran continued to escalate, according to Al Jazeera. US forces have been carrying out further strikes following attacks on American personnel in the region, the outlet reported.
Naval blockade and Gulf accusations
Al Jazeera reported that US military forces redirected six commercial vessels and disabled another during an ongoing naval blockade against Iran. The same update said regional allies were facing threats from Tehran.
Kuwait accused Iran of causing fires and severe damage to critical infrastructure, according to Al Jazeera. The accusation drew condemnation from regional Gulf governments, the outlet reported.
The latest developments form part of a widening regional conflict involving the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, as well as Israeli attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera’s coverage. No further casualty figures or damage assessments from the latest US attacks were provided in the updates.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.