Newsletters
At least 10 explosions were heard on Qeshm Island late Thursday as U.S. forces launched a new wave of strikes across southern Iran, with blasts also reported in Ahvaz and Bushehr between approximately 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. local time.
Missiles struck the Kahurestan Bridge and a telecommunications tower in the Tappeh Allah Akbar neighborhood of Bandar Abbas, as well as Sirik Jetty in Hormozgan province and Iranshahr Airport in Sistan and Baluchestan province, extending the campaign well beyond the Strait of Hormuz coastline.
U.S. Central Command announced the sixth consecutive night of strikes began at 2 p.m. ET, with the stated objective of further degrading Iranian military capabilities.
Two explosions struck the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr following CENTCOM's announcement of the new strike wave, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA, which carried a statement from the Bushehr provincial governorate confirming the blasts.
Separately, at least seven people were wounded in strikes on Bandar Abbas, according to the public relations office of Hormozgan University of Health Sciences, which said the casualties occurred in the Tappeh Allah Akbar neighborhood of the city.
Thursday's strikes were notable for their geographic spread. Beyond the Hormuz coastline, missiles hit Iranshahr Airport in Sistan and Baluchestan province in Iran's southeast, and Sirik Jetty in Hormozgan, suggesting a widening of target sets compared to earlier nights of the campaign, which had concentrated primarily on naval and coastal defense infrastructure around the Strait of Hormuz.
As missiles struck Iranian cities and infrastructure, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier Thursday that Iran had not broken off diplomatic contact and continued to express interest in a nuclear agreement.
The campaign follows what Washington describes as Iranian violations of a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding, specifically the firing on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. also reimposed a naval blockade on vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports earlier this week, a measure the White House tied directly to Iran's breach of the agreement.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
