Iran has launched new attacks on US military installations across the Gulf as American forces carried out another major wave of strikes inside Iran, pushing tensions between the two countries to their highest level since fighting resumed.
Iran has launched fresh attacks on US military bases in the Gulf, while the United States carried out another large-scale overnight assault on military targets across Iran, marking the sixth consecutive day of renewed hostilities.
Tehran said its latest operation targeted US military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, accusing Washington of escalating the conflict through continued airstrikes and naval operations in the region.
At the same time, the US military confirmed it had conducted a six-hour campaign involving air, naval and drone strikes against multiple locations across Iran.
US Central Command (Centcom) said the operation was aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping and international maritime traffic in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The latest escalation follows a warning from US President Donald Trump, who said Iran “had better behave” or face further military action unless it returns to negotiations.
Earlier this week, Trump threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure if diplomatic efforts failed.
Iran, however, has shown little willingness to return to the negotiating table under current conditions.
Speaking to state media, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tehran had “no reason” to honour agreements that did not serve the country’s interests.
He insisted Iran’s national security depended on maintaining what he described as Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Centcom, American forces struck command centres, air defence systems and coastal surveillance facilities in several locations, including the southern port city of Bandar Abbas and Greater Tunb Island, both of which play strategic roles in monitoring shipping through the Gulf.
Iranian state media reported explosions in multiple cities, with air defence systems activated over Tehran as strikes continued overnight.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, said a children’s cancer treatment centre in the western city of Ahvaz had to be evacuated after nearby explosions.
Video footage independently verified by BBC Verify showed explosions in the coastal cities of Chabahar, Ahvaz and Bandar Abbas, indicating the geographical spread of the American operation.
SEE ALSO: US Unleashes Fresh Strikes on Iran as Trump Warns Tehran to ‘Better Behave’
The conflict quickly spilled across the wider Gulf region.
Authorities in Kuwait said their military intercepted several Iranian drones, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry urged residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location as defensive systems responded to incoming threats.
Iran’s military also claimed responsibility for strikes on US communications infrastructure and fuel storage facilities in Jordan.
Meanwhile, tensions remain centred on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
The waterway has remained effectively closed after Iran imposed restrictions following earlier US and Israeli military operations.
Adding to the pressure, Washington has reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports, reversing an earlier agreement reached between both countries under a memorandum of understanding signed last month.
On Wednesday, US forces also disabled an empty Curaçao-flagged oil tanker that Centcom said was attempting to enter a blockaded Iranian port.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard responded by warning that additional oil and gas export routes serving US allies could also become targets if the blockade continues.
Officials did not specify which regional shipping lanes could be affected.
The continuing disruption has already had a noticeable impact on global energy markets.
With tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowing dramatically, international oil prices have climbed sharply amid growing concerns over global supply.
Despite the intensifying military confrontation, there was one small diplomatic development.
President Trump welcomed Iran’s decision to release an American citizen detained since December 2024, describing it as a gesture of goodwill.
“The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
According to her attorney, Jared Genser, the released American, Dena Karari, was already travelling back to the United States.
While the prisoner release offered a rare positive signal, the continued exchange of strikes suggests the broader conflict remains far from resolution, with both sides showing little indication of backing down militarily.
