US launches another round of attacks on Iran
The United States launched extensive military strikes against Iranian targets across southern provinces, including Qeshm Island, in response to earlier Iranian missile attacks on US forces. The strikes targeted Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities, with Iranian officials reporting casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
The United States Central Command announced a major offensive against Iranian military installations early Thursday, following Iranian missile strikes on a US base in Jordan the previous day. According to CENTCOM's statement, the operation targeted numerous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities, encompassing military command centres, missile and drone infrastructure, coastal surveillance systems, and maritime defence capabilities concentrated in Iran's southern provinces near the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian authorities reported significant damage from the strikes. Officials stated that a residential building on Qeshm Island sustained direct hits, trapping three people under rubble and injuring two others who were hospitalised. The explosions were powerful enough to be heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas, initially prompting reports that the port itself had been targeted. Power outages affected Qeshm Island as authorities worked to restore electricity and clear debris. Additional strikes reportedly hit locations in Abadan and the outskirts of Kazerun in Fars province, with two explosions reported on Kish Island in the Gulf, though airport and ferry operations there remained unaffected.
US President Donald Trump had promised to respond forcefully to the Iranian attacks, and the strikes appear designed to degrade Iran's military capabilities and challenge its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor. The US Treasury Department simultaneously announced new sanctions against two Iranian firms accused of operating an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-backed scheme requiring commercial vessels to purchase insurance for transit through the strait. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the US would not permit Iran to leverage international commerce or shipping to finance the Revolutionary Guard's activities.
Analysts suggest the US may pursue further escalation, either focusing on infrastructure related to Iran's influence over the Strait of Hormuz or targeting broader strategic assets such as bridges and power plants. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded by stating that Tehran's resistance would persist as long as Washington maintained its threats. Iran had previously rejected an Omani proposal for joint management of shipping routes through the strait.
Bell watches registries and rules change in near-real-time.