The United States military continued its offensive with a seventh day of strikes against Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East. In response, Iran's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory operations targeting US naval and military assets in several Gulf nations. These actions included claims of destroying oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and attacking the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The US military also announced the destruction of an IRGC surveillance tower in Chabahar Port, which it stated would degrade Iran's ability to monitor commercial shipping and coordinate attacks. Iran has warned of a resumption of "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes persist, while a significant US military presence remains in the region.

The United States military continued its offensive with a seventh day of strikes against Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East. In response, Iran's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory operations targeting US naval and military assets in several Gulf nations. These actions included claims of destroying oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and attacking the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The US military also announced the destruction of an IRGC surveillance tower in Chabahar Port, which it stated would degrade Iran's ability to monitor commercial shipping and coordinate attacks. Iran has warned of a resumption of "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes persist, while a significant US military presence remains in the region.

The United States military continued its offensive with a seventh day of strikes against Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East. In response, Iran's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory operations targeting US naval and military assets in several Gulf nations. These actions included claims of destroying oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and attacking the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The US military also announced the destruction of an IRGC surveillance tower in Chabahar Port, which it stated would degrade Iran's ability to monitor commercial shipping and coordinate attacks. Iran has warned of a resumption of "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes persist, while a significant US military presence remains in the region.

The United States military launched another round of strikes against Iran on Friday, marking the seventh consecutive day of operations as tensions in the Middle East continued to escalate.

In a post on social media, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes, launched at 3 pm (local time), were intended to further degrade Iran's military capabilities.

According to Iranian state media, three explosions were heard in Sirik, located in Hormozgan Province.

Iran's armed forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a series of retaliatory strikes targeting US naval and military assets across the Gulf region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Oman.

In a statement, the IRGC claimed that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire after entering a mined area south of the Strait of Hormuz.

"An hour ago, two oil tankers, which were trying to pass through the minefield south of the Strait of Hormuz by deceptive American intelligence agencies, exploded and caught fire," the statement said.

In a separate statement, the IRGC said its Aerospace Force had carried out the 16th wave of "Operation Nasr 2," targeting the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. It claimed the attack destroyed a long-range radar system and several US strategic aerial refuelling aircraft, while seriously damaging others.

Major General Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, warned that Tehran would resume "full-scale offensive operations" if US strikes continued for another two to three days.

Meanwhile, CENTCOM said on Friday that it had "successfully destroyed" a surveillance tower at Iran's Shahid Kalantari Port in Chabahar. According to the US military, the facility was part of an IRGC maritime surveillance network used to monitor commercial shipping in the Gulf of Oman, particularly traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

 "The destruction of the tower directly degrades IRGC's ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members. Furthermore, the strike protects freedom of navigation in regional waters for all vessels, except for ships attempting to violate the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran," CENTCOM said.

CENTCOM also stated that more than 50,000 US service members remain deployed across the Middle East and are "vigilant, lethal, and ready" to respond to evolving security challenges across the region.

TAGS