Washington has launched fresh attacks on Iran, targeting airports and maritime hubs around the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC retaliated immediately by striking American military installations in Syria, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Abbas Araghchi condemned Washington’s “criminal intent,” as the death toll from US operations since June reached 38. Over the course of Thursday night into Friday, the United States executed a new wave of air raids against Iranian territory. According to Iranian media outlets, the incursions targeted an airfield alongside several bridges situated near the Strait of Hormuz and within the Bandar Khamir district.
The IRNA news agency reported seven fatalities and nine injuries. The Fars agency, citing regional officials, also reported bombardment against an airbase and a naval station in Bushehr, located along the Persian Gulf coast. Additional operations were recorded on Qeshm Island, at the ports of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir, as well as in Ahvaz in the southwest and the Iranshahr airport in the southeast.
According to the Iranian Ministry of Health, US military operations carried out since June 22 have resulted in 38 deaths and over 400 wounded individuals. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi charged Washington with committing war crimes. Quoted by Al Jazeera, he asserted that the strikes on “vital infrastructure,” combined with threats directed at bridges and power grids, exposed the “criminal intent” of the American leadership. Iran Strikes Back at US Regional Bases In retaliation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had struck multiple American military assets across the Middle East. According to Press TV, Iranian operations notably targeted a US special operations command center in Al-Tanf, located in southwestern Syria. In Kuwait, American forces and logistics support centers were also hit.
In Bahrain, the IRGC struck the Sahir airbase used by US forces, specifically targeting staging areas for combat helicopters and P-8 reconnaissance aircraft. Furthermore, in Iraqi Kurdistan, a Patriot air defense network was struck by Iranian drones at the Erbil airport. This latest escalation unfolds less than three weeks following the signing of a memorandum intended to halt hostilities.
The United States had resumed its strikes against Iran on July 8 and reinstated a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Donald Trump declared at the time that the ceasefire was no longer valid, alleging that the IRGC had assaulted commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran responded with drone and missile strikes against American facilities before announcing the closure of the maritime passageway until the conclusion of American interference in regional affairs.