US forces launched overnight strikes against targets in southern Iran after President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would pay heavily for the deaths of American soldiers.
The attacks came as Iran launched strikes against US-linked sites in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, while a tanker was reportedly hit in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest exchanges have intensified fears that the conflict could spread across the region and threaten global energy supplies.
The Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen has also announced plans for a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, potentially opening another front in the conflict and increasing pressure on two of the world’s most important shipping routes.
US Central Command said its latest strikes targeted Iranian military command centres, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defence systems.
Explosions were reported around Shiraz in southern Iran, while the coastal cities of Konarak and Chabahar also came under attack, Iranian state media said.
Iran responded with strikes across the Gulf. Recent attacks on desalination facilities have raised concerns about possible water shortages and damage to civilian infrastructure.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted infrastructure in Bahrain linked to Amazon, in retaliation for what they described as a US strike on the construction site of Iran’s planned Darkhovin nuclear power plant. Iranian state media also reported attacks on accommodation facilities used by US military personnel at Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base. The claims could not be independently verified.
Iran’s army said drones had targeted three US military bases in Kuwait, while the Revolutionary Guards claimed an attack on a US military site in Jordan. Jordan said its forces had intercepted and destroyed five Iranian drones.
Shipping was also affected. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz had reported being struck by an unknown projectile, forcing its crew to abandon the vessel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said two oil tankers caught fire after explosions while attempting to use the southern route through the strait. The reports could not immediately be verified.
The Houthi threat has raised fears over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another crucial energy and trade route. A full closure could disrupt a significant share of regional oil exports and add to the supply losses already caused by the war.
Oil prices eased slightly in early trading as markets weighed the threat to shipping against signs of renewed diplomatic efforts.
Iranian officials said mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to help revive an interim agreement that collapsed after fighting resumed. Iran’s interior minister has also asked Pakistan to renew its mediation efforts.
The latest phase of the conflict has killed at least 17 US service members, according to the latest figures cited by US officials. Trump said the recent strikes were carried out in response to the deaths.
The war has killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to meet Trump in Washington to discuss a plan for disarming Iran-aligned Hezbollah and securing an Israeli withdrawal from parts of Lebanon.
