US hits Iran for eighth consecutive night, Iran returns fire on Gulf bases

The United States military launched fresh air strikes on Iranian targets early Sunday, marking the eighth consecutive night of operations. According to reports from Iranian news agencies Mehr and Tasnim, strikes hit areas near Sirik in Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island, with additional strikes reported near Shadegan in Khuzestan province. US Central Command stated the operations were designed to further degrade Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to retaliate for Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks on a US base in Jordan that resulted in two American service member deaths.

The strikes targeted Iranian military coastal surveillance facilities, air defense systems, maritime capabilities, and storage sites for missiles and drones, according to CENTCOM. Iranian reports indicated no casualties and no damage to residential or commercial infrastructure from the strikes. However, state-run news agency IRNA reported that the Bonji desalination plant was destroyed, affecting water supplies to approximately 10,000 people, and that a desalination facility on Qeshm Island was damaged.

In response to the US strikes, Iran's military targeted US military assets at two bases in Kuwait. According to a statement from Iran's military, forces struck an ammunition depot at Al-Adiri camp and Patriot radar systems at the Ali Al Salem base. This escalation follows warnings from Iran's supreme leader of "unforgettable lessons" if US attacks continued.

The conflict has evolved since February, with US strikes expanding beyond military targets to include civilian infrastructure such as bridges and desalination plants. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that the United States is violating terms of an interim agreement and no longer implementing them. Since the broader conflict began in February, 16 US service members have been killed and more than 430 wounded.