The United States and Iran expanded their conflict on Friday by targeting key infrastructure, raising fears of a broader regional escalation. The US struck bridges, a railway station and an airport in southern Iran, while Tehran retaliated by attacking a power generation and water desalination plant in Kuwait.
The conflict also spilled further into regional waters. In the Strait of Hormuz, US Marines boarded a tanker as part of Washington's blockade of Iranian ports, while another vessel was reportedly hit by a projectile. Separately, armed men seized a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen, although a maritime security source said the incident appeared to be an act of Somali piracy rather than linked to Iran or its Houthi allies, Reuters reports.
Washington and Tehran have continued testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire collapsed last week, increasing concerns that the conflict could return to full-scale war.
US strikes bridges, airport and logistics targets
US President Donald Trump has threatened broad-based air strikes on Iran's infrastructure and has not ruled out a ground assault on Iran's coast or islands. US officials said attacks on southern Iran are intended to provide Trump with additional military options.
In its latest operation, the US military's Central Command said it had targeted "military logistics infrastructure", marking the first time in more than a week that infrastructure was explicitly included among its targets.
Iranian state media reported that at least five bridges were struck in southern Iran. Seven people were reported killed in attacks on bridges in Bandar Khamir, where the railway station was also hit. An airport in Iranshahr, near the Pakistan border, was also reportedly targeted. Reuters could not independently verify the reports, which also said a woman was killed and her child wounded in Bandar Abbas.
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Iran targets Gulf states hosting US forces
Iran announced attacks on Gulf countries that host US military bases, including Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.
Kuwaiti authorities said an Iranian strike damaged one of the country's power generation and water desalination stations, triggering a fire and disrupting numerous electricity generation units. The blaze was brought under control, while technical teams began assessing the damage and restoring operations, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said.
The attack revived concerns over the vulnerability of Gulf infrastructure, with desalination plants critical for supplying water and electricity to the region's desert cities. Iran also said it struck US bases in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as a US radar station in Oman. Explosions were reported in Doha, where Qatar's interior ministry said a child was wounded by shrapnel.
Iran also claimed to have targeted what it described as a US special forces base in Tanf, Syria, marking its first reported strike on Syria during the conflict. Syria said US forces had already withdrawn from the base earlier this year, while a Syrian military source said the strike landed nearby without causing casualties or damage.
Energy markets, shipping routes under pressure
An interim agreement to end the war collapsed after Iran attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz on July 7 and the United States responded with air strikes.
The latest escalation pushed Brent crude prices up 2% to around $86 a barrel, their highest level since last month's interim ceasefire. Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports.
The US military said it boarded a tanker to enforce the blockade, releasing photographs showing Marines descending from a helicopter onto the vessel. Meanwhile, the seizure of a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden was believed to be linked to Somali piracy rather than the Houthis.
Although both sides have exchanged strikes daily since last week, they have largely avoided targeting civilian infrastructure and major economic assets until now because of the risk of retaliation.
Iran has warned it will attack civilian infrastructure across the Middle East if Trump proceeds with threats to strike Iran's infrastructure. It has also indicated it could encourage its Houthi allies to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, another vital shipping route connecting the Red Sea.
Sources told Reuters Iran has already instructed the Houthis to act if Washington attacks Iranian infrastructure.
The surge in global energy prices has increased pressure on Trump to end the conflict. In a televised address on Thursday focused mainly on election security, Trump said the United States was "winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labour very, very shortly."
