US strikes Iran for sixth night as Tehran targets regional bases
Washington reported another round of strikes on Iran while Tehran said it hit US-linked military sites across the region.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
The United States carried out a sixth consecutive night of attacks on Iran, and Tehran responded with missiles and drones aimed at Gulf countries and US bases elsewhere in the region. The exchanges widened a conflict that Iranian officials say has killed 38 people and injured more than 400 since talks in Switzerland on June 22, according to AFP.
US Central Command said it completed its latest round of strikes at 01:40 GMT on Friday. CENTCOM did not give detailed information on the targets inside Iran.
Iranian media reported that US forces hit at least six bridges, a railway station and other locations across the country. Those reports said at least eight people were killed and several others were wounded in the latest attacks.
Damage reported in southern Iran
Iran’s Fars news agency said the bridges hit in Hormozgan province included the Gariveh bridge linking Bandar Abbas with Khmeir and Lara, a bridge near Latidan village, two bridges on the Kahoorestan-Lar route, a partly built bridge linking Bandar e-Khamir, Keshar and Bandar Abbas, and a bridge in Maru village in Khmeir district.
Iran’s Ministry of Energy said the US attacks damaged power lines in Bandar Abbas and nearby villages. Power cuts were reported in southern Iran, while electricity began returning in some areas, according to Iranian reports.
Iran reports 13th retaliatory wave
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday morning that it had launched a 13th round of retaliatory attacks against US bases since fighting resumed. Authorities in several countries reported alerts, interceptions or damage claims linked to Iranian projectiles.
In Bahrain, air raid sirens sounded on Friday morning, and the Ministry of Interior told residents to remain calm. In Qatar, authorities issued two alerts about an hour apart after Iranian projectiles, including at least one missile, entered the country’s airspace, according to Qatari officials.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said all projectiles were intercepted. Qatar’s Ministry of Interior said one child was injured by falling shrapnel during interceptions over Doha and was receiving medical treatment.
The IRGC said it destroyed a US air control radar in Oman’s Ghanim region and a maritime control radar on rocks in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian state-linked reporting. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile on Thursday about 19 nautical miles east of Khasab, Oman.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the IRGC claimed a strike on a US military base in Kuwait, saying it hit a missile defence radar, weapons depots and two HIMARS surface-to-surface missile launchers. Jordan’s army said its air defence systems intercepted and shot down three Iranian missiles aimed at the country, adding that there were no casualties and that engineering teams handled falling debris.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that the IRGC said it attacked a US special operations command centre at the al-Tanf base in Syria. The IRGC said that strike was retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr.
Officials trade accusations
Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its previous condition after what he called the 40-day war, and accused the United States of destabilising the waterway.
US Vice President JD Vance said in a podcast interview with Joe Rogan on Wednesday that some members of Israel’s government had tried to shape US public opinion against a deal in the war with Iran. Vance said he was certain that people inside the Israeli government wanted to shift Washington away from that policy because they wanted the military campaign to continue.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.