The United States military conducted an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian territory, targeting military command centres, missile and drone launch sites, maritime capabilities, and air defence systems, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). Explosions were reported near the north-western city of Tabriz, the southern port of Bushehr — home to Iran’s only commercial nuclear reactor — and other locations including Bandar Mahshahr, Chabahar, and Konarak. Iranian health officials said 50 civilians had been killed and 500 wounded in the recent wave of US attacks.

Viewed from Washington, the strikes are designed to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and to retaliate for the deaths of three American service members killed in recent attacks on US positions in Jordan and Iraq. President Donald Trump stated that Iran had been hit “very hard” and warned that further attacks on American personnel would trigger additional military action. CENTCOM maintained that commercial vessels continued to transit the strait, though maritime intelligence data showed a decline in traffic, with only four commodity vessels crossing on Monday, mostly via the northern lane near the Iranian coast.

From Tehran’s perspective, the sustained US bombardment constitutes an act of war. President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran was now engaged in a “full-scale war” with the United States. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for striking two oil tankers attempting to transit the strait’s southern route, as well as launching cruise missiles at what it described as an Amazon data centre in Bahrain and targeting accommodation facilities at Sheikh Isa Air Base. Iranian state media also reported drone and missile attacks on US military assets in Kuwait and Jordan. The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that any US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, including the fortified Pickaxe Mountain site, would be regarded as an escalation triggering decisive strikes on all US assets and those of its allies.

The conflict has spilled across the region. Jordan’s armed forces intercepted five Iranian drones, Bahrain said drones targeted its air navigation systems without disrupting traffic, and Kuwait confirmed its military intercepted additional drones. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to target any vessel loading or discharging at Saudi ports, a move that analysts in London note could disrupt global energy supplies beyond the Gulf. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that a commercial tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing its crew to abandon ship.

Despite the escalation, diplomatic channels remain open. Iranian officials confirmed that indirect messages were still being exchanged with the United States through intermediaries, even as a previously agreed ceasefire has collapsed. The US State Department issued a worldwide caution for American citizens, citing heightened tensions. The situation remains fluid, with both sides signalling a readiness to continue military operations while leaving room for potential de-escalation through back-channel communications.