The US attacks Iran's bridges as Tehran retaliates against Gulf plants, escalating conflict and raising oil prices amid regional instability.
The United States has carried out its seventh straight night of attacks on Iran, striking at least five bridges, while Tehran retaliated with strikes on power and desalination plants in Kuwait, reports Australia's ABC News.
Video verified by Reuters showed a bridge destroyed in Bandar Khamir. Iranian officials accused Washington of also hitting water pumps in Bunji, leaving 10,000 villagers short of drinking water. US Marines boarded a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, where two vessels exploded after passing through mined waters, according to Iranian media.
Armed men seized another ship off Yemen, raising fears over the Red Sea choke point. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned that until US 'aggression' ended, no oil or fertilizers would leave the region. The collapse of an interim ceasefire last week has reignited fighting, driving Brent crude prices up 3 percent.
President Donald Trump threatened broad strikes on Iran's infrastructure and did not rule out a ground assault. Iranian state media reported that seven people were killed in Bandar Khamir, where a train station was also hit. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi vowed their blood would not be spilt 'in vain.'
Reports also cited hits on Iranshahr airport near Pakistan. US officials stated that the southern strikes were partly to give Mr. Trump options, though advisers warned that Iran could escalate by targeting Gulf states. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior aide to Iran's supreme leader, said continued US attacks would trigger 'full-scale offensive operations.'
Iran later announced strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, as well as on a US vessel in the Indian Ocean. Bahrain activated air raid sirens twice on Saturday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern over attacks on civilian infrastructure, while US Central Command stated that its targets included 'military logistics infrastructure.'
