United States Expands Airstrikes Across Iran

On Monday, the United States broadened its airstrikes against Iran, striking multiple provinces, including a city that houses the nation’s sole operational nuclear power plant, while the Islamic Republic continued its regional attacks.

The Middle East conflict resumed after a weeks‑long pause caused by a June agreement, and oil prices rose to a one‑month high as the parties vied for control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Following the collapse of its de‑facto truce with the United States, Tehran reinstated its blockade of the waterway that previously carried roughly a fifth of global oil shipments, while the United States responded by re‑blockading Iranian ports.

Although U.S. strikes had largely targeted regions near Hormuz since the war’s resumption, Monday’s attacks extended to provinces across the centre and north of Iran, according to state media and local officials.

Each of the targeted provinces contains military bases and air‑defence installations.

In Bushehr — home to Iran’s only operational civilian nuclear power plant — Governor Mohammad Mozaffari told the state news agency IRNA, “A few minutes ago, several locations in Bushehr city were struck by American projectiles.”

In East Azerbaijan province in the north, the head of the local crisis management unit, Majid Farshi, reported to IRNA that “one person was killed and several others injured” in the attack.

Notwithstanding the recent attacks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said diplomatic communications with the United States, mediated by third parties, remained ongoing.

He told a press conference in Tehran that “ideas have been conveyed to us by certain mediators,” according to AFP.

– Ship on fire –

In the Strait of Hormuz, sailors abandoned a vessel that had been set ablaze by an attack, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.

“The vessel was struck by an unknown projectile; the crew safely abandoned it and were rescued by a tugboat. The fire remains unextinguished and the vessel drifts,” UKMTO said.

Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that two oil tankers attempting to transit the strait “exploded and were brought to a halt,” according to a statement reported by Tasnim News Agency.

– Iran strikes neighbours –

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Monday that they had hit targets in Syria, Jordan and Kuwait overnight.

In Syria, Iranian forces launched “a surprise attack on the enemy special operations command centre in the Al‑Tanf region,” according to a Guards statement carried by state media.

The United States said it withdrew its troops from Tanf in February.

In Jordan, the Guards said it targeted U.S. military aircraft stationed at Aqaba Airport “with ballistic missiles, causing severe damage to a number of them”.

The Guards also said they hit U.S. military targets based in Kuwait, including an early‑warning radar system that was “completely destroyed”.

Kuwaiti air defences were “engaging hostile drone attacks following Iranian aggression”, its army said Monday.

Bahrain’s interior ministry also said that its air raid sirens had sounded and urged citizens and residents to head to “the nearest safe place”.

Source link