The United States military concluded a seventh consecutive night of air and naval strikes against Iranian military infrastructure on Friday, expanding its target list to include coastal surveillance posts, underground weapons depots, and logistical hubs. According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the operations—directed by President Donald Trump—began at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and employed fighter jets, drones, and warships to “continue degrading Iranian military capabilities.” Simultaneously, the US enforced a full naval blockade on Iranian ports, with over 50,000 American troops on high alert across the Middle East. CENTCOM reported that in the first three days of the renewed blockade, its forces redirected four commercial vessels, disabled one, and boarded another to ensure compliance.

Viewed from Washington, the White House press secretary stated that President Trump believes Iran violated the terms of a previous memorandum of understanding, justifying the renewed campaign. US officials, speaking to the Wall Street Journal, said several bridges were struck to sever supply routes to the Bandar Abbas naval base and the Strait of Hormuz. In Tehran, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and military adviser to the Supreme Leader, warned that if US attacks continue for “two or three more days,” Iran will enter a “comprehensive offensive phase.” He said no political borders would be safe from Iranian forces and demanded financial compensation for what Iranian officials describe as attacks on civilian infrastructure—a charge Washington denies. Iranian state media also reported that naval forces fired a missile at a US vessel in the northern Indian Ocean.

On the ground, Iranian state media reported explosions in the southern provinces of Bushehr, Qeshm, Sirik, and Khorramabad, with local authorities confirming three dead and eight wounded in Hormozgan. Iranian outlets claimed that IRGC units targeted a Thai-flagged ship attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Regional media reported that US Patriot systems in Jordan failed to intercept missiles, and explosions rocked American bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The escalation has rattled global markets: Brent crude rose more than 3%, heading for a third weekly gain, while Wall Street opened sharply lower. Maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb is under severe strain, with the US boarding an oil tanker near Hormuz and armed groups seizing another vessel off Yemen.

The current hostilities erupted after the collapse of a fragile ceasefire and memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. Trump announced the end of the agreement during a NATO summit in Ankara, accusing Iran of attacking commercial vessels south of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains that security of the waterway should be managed by coastal states without foreign military intervention. With no diplomatic channel active, the US says it will continue to hold Iran accountable and enforce the blockade, while Iran’s threat of a comprehensive offensive leaves the situation poised for further escalation. The UN Security Council has yet to schedule a meeting on the crisis.