Key facts
- US forces conducted airstrikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure, including bridges, an airport, and a train station, resulting in at least seven deaths.
- Iran retaliated by targeting US military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.
- US Marines boarded the oil tanker M/T Wen Yao to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports.
- Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has been halted amid the escalating conflict.
- US President Donald Trump stated the US is 'winning big' in Iran and that the conflict is nearing an end.
The United States and Iran are engaged in an escalating exchange of military actions, with the US conducting strikes for a sixth consecutive day and Iran retaliating against US allies and halting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. US forces boarded the M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman as part of a renewed blockade of Iran's ports. The US has also expanded its airstrikes to include bridges, prompting Iran to attack facilities in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. Iranian state media reported that US airstrikes struck bridges in Bandar Khamir, the Iranshahr airport, and a train station in Bandar Abbas, killing at least seven people. The US Central Command confirmed it hit dozens of Iranian military targets. In response, Iran stated it had targeted US military infrastructure in Bahrain and Kuwait. Qatar also reported incoming attacks, with its defense ministry intercepting missiles and one child wounded by falling debris. US President Donald Trump, in a primetime address, said the US was 'winning big in Iran' and that the public would 'see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.' The conflict has ended an interim deal to end the war and returned an all-out war to the region, with prospects for an agreement appearing distant. The US military had previously resumed air strikes against Iran in broad daylight, aiming to limit Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, which was initially closed following the launch of the US and Israel's war on Iran on February 28, causing oil and other goods prices to soar.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it launched an attack on a US special operations command centre at al-Tanf in Syria, stating it was in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump is “open to diplomacy” and that the US is still talking with Iran. Iranian armed forces spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari accused Washington of destabilizing security in the Strait of Hormuz and asked Gulf countries not to allow America to use their territories to attack Iran. The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, warned of energy security concerns if oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are not improved. The Israeli army has begun establishing new permanent military posts in southern Lebanon.