Mapping the latest US strikes across Iran

The United States military has executed a sustained air campaign across Iran over the past week, targeting military installations along the country's southern coast and near the Strait of Hormuz despite an existing ceasefire agreement. Iranian health officials report at least 35 deaths and 300 wounded from the strikes. The US has simultaneously reimposed a naval blockade on Iran, escalating tensions significantly.

In response, Iran has conducted attacks on US military facilities distributed across the region, raising concerns about the collapse of the fragile ceasefire arrangement. The Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi condemned Iran's attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, characterizing them as "treacherous" and describing the escalation as unprecedented. The attacks damaged infrastructure and facilities, injuring Kuwaiti military personnel. Al-Budaiwi accused Iran of disregarding international norms and warned the actions risked dragging the region into further chaos and instability.

Iranian media has documented explosions across numerous cities and islands along the country's southern coast and mainland, including Aqqala, Ahvaz, Bampur, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar, Isfahan, and multiple other locations. According to conflict data, US strikes also occurred in May and June targeting additional southern Iranian locations including Bandar-e Lengeh and Shahid Raahbar naval base.

Iran's southern waters contain more than 30 islands, several positioned along the Strait of Hormuz forming a defensive arc. These islands provide Iran forward positions to monitor shipping and deploy missiles, drones, and naval forces while protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure along one of the world's busiest energy corridors. Tehran-based defence analyst Mehdi Yazdi emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz represents Iran's primary deterrent leverage, noting that abandoning it through negotiations would eliminate Iran's pressure mechanism and compromise negotiating position.

Before the February 28 conflict, approximately 100 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz daily, with roughly half carrying oil tankers transporting a combined 20 million barrels of crude—approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption. The waterway reopened following the preliminary US-Iran agreement announced June 17, though ship traffic remained significantly below normal levels.