U.S. strikes bridges in Iran, Tehran targets U.S. bases in the Gulf

World U.S. strikes bridges in Iran, Tehran targets U.S. bases in the Gulf July 17, 20267:13 AM ET By  NPR Staff A tugboat guides a ship at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026. Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz on July 12 and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew. AFP/via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption AFP/via Getty Images The U.S. and Iran expanded their targets in the latest round of strikes on Friday, as fighting over the control of the Strait of Hormuz reignites fears of an all-out war. The U.S. military said it struck Iranian air defense sites and military logistics infrastructure in its attacks, as it sought to pressure Iran to lift its chokehold on the strait. Iran said those targets included six bridges in the Hermozgan province facing the key waterway, as well as power infrastructure. It vowed to retaliate by targeting the infrastructure of U.S. allies in the region. Sponsor Message Middle East conflict U.S. fires a new wave of strikes on Iran and hits a tanker trying to skirt its blockade Legal scholars have warned that attacks on infrastructure with wide civilian use in some circumstances could constitute a war crime under international law. President Trump threatened to strike Iranian bridges this week if Iran failed to return to talks to end the war. Iranian state media said at least seven people were killed and 20 wounded in the latest U.S. strikes on infrastructure. According to Iranian health officials, 38 people have been killed and over 400 wounded in the past week. The overnight U.S. strikes also appeared to have destroyed a maritime control tower in the Iranian port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman, another key commercial gate in...