US intensifies attacks on Iran as Tehran hits back at Gulf states
Washington Escalates Military Campaign Against Tehran as Regional Tensions Mount
US intensifies attacks on Iran as Tehran - Washington has significantly ramped up its military operations against Iran, launching strikes on targets located near the capital city of Tehran while simultaneously engaging a vessel accused of violating the established naval blockade. In response, Tehran has retaliated by launching missiles and drones toward American allies situated throughout the Middle East. These hostilities have persisted for six consecutive days, creating a volatile situation that threatens to drag the entire region into a comprehensive conflict. Furthermore, these escalating clashes cast significant doubt on the viability of an interim agreement concluded last month, which was designed to secure lasting peace.
Both nations have engaged in increasingly sharp rhetoric as tensions rise. The United States has tightened its naval blockade, while Iranian officials declared that they had effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, this critical waterway facilitated approximately twenty percent of the world's oil and gas exports. According to reports from Reuters, Tehran has instructed its allies in Yemen, specifically the Houthi movement, to prepare for the possibility of shutting down the Red Sea oil route should American forces decide to target Iranian energy infrastructure. Such a move, if executed, would likely bring the global energy market to a standstill.
Regional Alliances Under Pressure
The Houthi leadership, headed by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, issued a warning that all Saudi oil production and other vital facilities could become targets if Riyadh chooses to intervene directly in the Yemeni conflict. This threat emerged following a Saudi airstrike on the Sanaa airport, which prompted retaliatory missile fire from the Houthis directed at Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the United States initiated its newest wave of bombardments early on Thursday. Iranian state media confirmed that areas surrounding Tehran were hit for the first time during this current phase of fighting, alongside strikes on other provinces.
Later on Thursday afternoon, Iranian news outlets reported that American missiles also struck locations near the port city of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm island, a key storage site for drones and missiles. Additionally, Washington announced that it fired upon a tanker navigating toward Kharg, which stands as Iran's largest terminal for oil exports. US Central Command stated that a Hellfire missile was launched at the ship after it disregarded several warnings. Iranian authorities noted that these recent American attacks have resulted in more than thirty-five fatalities and over three hundred injuries.
Humanitarian Impact and Diplomatic Stakes
Tehran condemned the US actions as a "barbaric attack" after a cancer hospital in southwestern Iran was forced to evacuate due to nearby strikes. Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, highlighted the human cost on social media platform X.
"This barbaric attack, reminiscent of Israel’s atrocities against healthcare facilities, caused severe suffering and anxiety upon the hospitalised children," Baghaei stated. He added that "211 patients undergoing chemotherapy" were successfully evacuated from the facility.
On Thursday, Iran launched a counter-offensive using missiles and drones aimed at Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait, nations that host significant American military bases. In Iraq, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi reported an overnight drone assault on the city of Erbil within Iraqi Kurdistan. The attack was successfully intercepted. This incident occurred while al-Zaidi was on a diplomatic visit to the United States, where he pledged to disarm non-state armed groups within his country. Iraqi authorities also temporarily halted crude oil loading at all terminals on Thursday after a drone collided with an oil tanker in Basra, though no damage was reported. Loading operations resumed later that day.
Iran has warned that it may broaden its regional attacks in response to comments made by US President Donald Trump, who suggested he could strike power plants, bridges, and a nuclear facility. Col Ebrahim Zolfaghari, an Iranian military spokesperson, emphasized the severity of the situation.
"All the infrastructure in the region will be crushed under the steel blows of the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Zolfaghari declared. "Under no circumstances and in no way will we allow America, as a foreign and extra-regional country, to interfere in the strait. This is Iran’s inviolable red line."
Zolfaghari noted that the sole path to reopening the strait involves the US adhering to the fourteen-point Memorandum of Understanding signed last month, as well as following Iranian regulations for ship transit. Much of