US expands airstrikes on Iran, targets more strategic bridges.
US Central Command said its latest overnight airstrikes hit dozens of targets, marking the sixth consecutive night of American attacks.
- The US expanded strikes in Iran, hitting bridges and dozens of targets, according to Central Command.
- Iran retaliated with missile attacks on US-allied states, including Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
- The ceasefire has collapsed, and the Strait of Hormuz has become the central flashpoint.
- Iranian officials say US strikes killed more than 35 people and wounded over 300.
- Trump says the US is “winning big in Iran” and insists the campaign is working.
- Shipping through the strait has fallen sharply amid the blockade and escalating attacks.
The latest escalation in the Iran conflict with deep concern as the United States expanded its airstrike campaign early Friday, increasingly targeting bridges in what President Donald Trump has framed as pressure on Tehran to ease its grip on the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes came as Iran answered with fresh missile attacks against US-allied countries in the Middle East, warning that the violence would intensify rather than slow down.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest round of attacks hit dozens of targets and ended at dawn on Friday, marking the sixth straight night of American strikes. On the ground, the effects were felt far beyond Iran. In Qatar, authorities told the public to shelter as Iranian missiles were launched toward the country. Residents reported hearing explosions overhead as air defenses intercepted the incoming weapons.
The widening conflict has also strained diplomacy. fighting over the Strait of Hormuz worsens. Iran had earlier targeted Bahrain and Kuwait following US airstrikes that struck bridges inside the Islamic Republic overnight, underlining how quickly the confrontation is spilling across borders.
The fragile ceasefire that had been agreed last month has now effectively collapsed. In the days since, the region has been caught in a cycle of retaliatory attacks between the US and Iran. Iranian officials say American strikes have killed more than 35 people and wounded more than 300 others, with new casualties reported after Friday’s assault.
The strategic stakes are enormous. When the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran moved to close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, sending oil prices sharply higher and giving Iran significant leverage in any negotiation. In a televised address to the American public, Trump insisted the campaign was succeeding, saying, “We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.”
Iran’s military answered with an open warning. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said Iran could launch broad attacks on “all the infrastructure in the region” if the United States followed through on He declared that Iran would never allow America, which he called a foreign and extraregional power, to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an “invincible red line.”
US airstrikes overnight into Friday hit bridges in Hormozgan province in southern Iran, killing at least seven people, according to Iranian state television. The strikes reportedly hit Bandar Khamir, a coastal city on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media also said Thursday’s US attacks struck areas near Tehran and Semnan province, a region linked to Iran’s ballistic missile production and space program.
Trump has recently revived his threats to target Iranian power stations and bridges, hoping to force Tehran to loosen its hold on the strait, through which about a fifth of The US also reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to stop crude shipments. Cargo movement through the strait had already fallen sharply, with weekly shipments down by nearly a quarter earlier this month, even before the latest round of attacks.
The result is a region bracing for more volatility, more retaliation, and a widening shadow over energy markets and Gulf security.