Smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, southern Lebanon, as residents evacuate the area.
The United States and Iran exchanged fresh military strikes on Wednesday, intensifying tensions across the Gulf and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
Iran said it launched attacks on US military-linked facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, despite an earlier agreement aimed at easing hostilities. The latest strikes marked the sixth day of renewed military exchanges between the two countries.
The US military said it carried out a six-hour operation targeting command centres, air defence systems and coastal surveillance facilities in Bandar Abbas and Greater Tunb Island.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes were designed to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran to return to negotiations or face further military action, including possible strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure.
In response, Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tehran had “no reason” to honour any agreement that did not serve its national interests, insisting that the country’s security depended on maintaining control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict also spread across neighbouring Gulf states. Kuwait said it intercepted drone attacks, while Bahrain urged residents to seek shelter after reporting incoming threats. Iran also claimed it targeted US communication systems and fuel storage facilities in Jordan.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil shipping routes, remains closed following Iran’s response to recent US and Israeli military operations.
The United States has also reinstated a blockade on Iranian ports and said it intercepted an oil tanker attempting to enter a restricted Iranian port.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned that additional oil and gas export routes serving the United States and its allies could also be targeted if the conflict continues.
The renewed fighting has disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed global oil prices higher, heightening concerns over the security of global energy supplies.
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