US strikes key Iranian targets as Tehran retaliates across Middle East

American forces struck key targets across southern Iran on Friday as Tehran retaliated with attacks on US military bases across the Middle East, marking a seventh consecutive night of hostilities.

Iranian state media reported the overnight bombardment hit at least five bridges, an airport, a surveillance tower and a vessel.

The coastal city of Bandar Abbas appeared to be the primary focus of the assault.

The strategic port serves as headquarters for Iran's navy and sits at the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz.

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Among the structures destroyed were the Kahorestan Bridge and Gariveh Bridge, both on key routes leading to Bandar Abbas.

A railway station in Bandar Khamir and Iranshahr Airport in the south-east were also struck, according to Iranian media.

US Central Command confirmed the operation was carried out "to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief's direction".

Tehran responded by launching retaliatory strikes against American military installations across the Middle East, targeting bases in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as a radar facility in Oman.

The Iranian barrage caused significant damage in Kuwait, where missiles and drones struck a power generation plant and water desalination station, prompting authorities to impose emergency energy rationing.

Later on Friday, the Revolutionary Guard's naval forces "targeted" a Thai-flagged vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran's state news agency reported.

Iran's health ministry said at least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 wounded since hostilities resumed last week.

Friday's strikes alone claimed seven lives, according to Iranian state media.

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Iran's energy ministry has also urged citizens to reduce electricity consumption and switch off air conditioning during peak hours, even as temperatures soar across the country.

Officials blamed American strikes on energy infrastructure for placing further strain on the national power grid.

Tehran condemned the attacks as "heinous" and accused Washington of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.

In a statement carried by Tasnim news agency, Iranian authorities said US forces destroyed "a completely civilian structure" at Chabahar port, which was built with Indian support and serves as a vital trade route for Afghanistan.

The conflict erupted after a temporary peace agreement collapsed last week, with Washington and Tehran exchanging strikes for seven straight days, fuelling fears of a wider regional war.

A memorandum of understanding signed a month ago failed to deliver lasting peace, with both sides deadlocked over control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Trump warned earlier this week: "We're going to knock out all their power plants. We're going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate."

Mohsen Rezai, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, issued a stark warning on social media, saying that if America continues military action "in the next 2-3 days, we will enter the stage of the enemy's 'full-scale invasion and annihilation'."

The Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers have urged both sides to cease hostilities and return to the negotiating table.

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