US forces struck multiple bridges and a railway junction in southern Iran overnight, targeting supply arteries to the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas. Iranian authorities confirmed that the Kahourstan bridge, a vital link between Bandar Abbas and the interior, and the Bandar Abbas railway branching station were hit, closing highways and rail lines. At least two people were killed and several wounded, according to Iranian state media, while explosions were also reported near Bushehr, Ahvaz, Qeshm, and an airport in Iran Shahr.

A senior US official told the Wall Street Journal the strikes aimed to sever logistical routes to Bandar Abbas, which hosts an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval base used, according to Washington, to attack commercial vessels and project power in the Strait of Hormuz. The White House said the operations, now in their sixth consecutive night, are a response to Iranian violations of a June 2026 memorandum of understanding that prohibited targeting merchant shipping. President Donald Trump has threatened to expand strikes to power plants and additional bridges unless Tehran returns to negotiations, while a spokesperson insisted the administration remains “open to diplomacy.”

Tehran condemned the attacks as a violation of sovereignty and accused Washington of destroying civilian infrastructure under false pretexts. Iranian military officials, cited by state media, warned they would target infrastructure across the Middle East if the US expands its campaign. Iran has also signalled, through sources cited by Reuters, that it could encourage allied Houthi forces in Yemen to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a second critical maritime chokepoint, in retaliation for strikes on Iranian infrastructure. Iran continues to demand that all vessels transiting Hormuz use a channel near its coast and has not ruled out imposing transit fees.

The renewed hostilities have effectively paralysed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil and gas shipping lane, driving up global energy prices. The US has reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, with Marines boarding and inspecting commercial vessels; CENTCOM reported diverting three ships and disabling a fourth. Over 50,000 US military personnel are deployed across the Middle East, and Trump has not excluded the possibility of ground operations, including seizing Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal. The escalation follows the collapse of a short-lived truce, with both sides accusing the other of breaching the MOU. The US says its strikes will continue until Iran is held accountable for attacks on shipping, while Iran insists any aggression will be met with a response.