US strikes Iran for sixth night as Tehran warns attacks could spread
US attacks hit sites in southern Iran while Tehran claimed strikes on Gulf targets and warned of a broader response if the campaign continues.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
The United States launched a sixth straight night of attacks on Iran on Thursday, with Iranian media reporting strikes and explosions across several southern locations. The escalation raised new pressure on an interim US-Iran agreement signed last month, as both governments accused the other of breaching it, according to Al Jazeera.
The US military said the latest operation began at 18:00 GMT, Al Jazeera reported. Iranian outlets reported activity in Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Iranshahr and Bandar-e Khamir.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said a US missile strike hit an airport in Iranshahr. Tasnim also reported an attack on a communications tower in Bandar Abbas, which it said cut electricity in the area.
Iran’s Fars news agency reported a suspected US strike on a bridge in Bandar-e Khamir. The reported attacks followed threats earlier in the week by US President Donald Trump to hit Iranian infrastructure if Tehran did not return to talks, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran claims regional strikes
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said earlier Thursday that it attacked an airbase in Bahrain used by US forces, according to Al Jazeera. The IRGC said the strike was retaliation for what it called a “barbaric” US attack that forced the evacuation of a children’s cancer hospital in Ahvaz, in southwestern Iran.
The IRGC also claimed attacks on Kuwait and Jordan, Al Jazeera reported. Kuwait’s army said Iranian attacks involved 32 drones and targeted vital facilities, causing material damage.
Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia warned that Iranian attacks “will spread to new areas” if US attacks continue, according to Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera correspondent Aksel Zaimovic, reporting from Doha, said Gulf states were strengthening air defenses and military readiness around key infrastructure during what he called a time of uncertainty.
Diplomacy strains under fighting
The fighting comes weeks after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding, according to Al Jazeera. Since then, each side has accused the other of violating the arrangement during a week of intensifying hostilities.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Trump would hold Iran “accountable” while remaining “open to diplomacy,” according to Al Jazeera. Leavitt said Iranian officials had expressed interest in a deal, but she said Trump would not allow attacks on ships in the strait without consequences.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that Tehran had no plans to hold talks with the US and was focused on defending the country, Al Jazeera reported.
Sina Azodi, an assistant professor of Middle East politics at George Washington University, told Al Jazeera that Washington and Tehran were each trying to pressure the other into concessions. Azodi said the US wants Iran to return to negotiations and accept American demands, while Iran wants the US to lift the blockade and implement the memorandum of understanding in full.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.