US military officials said that US forces hit 90 Iranian military targets in the latest strikes against the Islamic Republic, including air defense systems, missile and drone storage sites and other assets.
The US Central Command released a statement on X announcing that the United States “completed an additional round of strikes against Iran on July 8 to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Three people were killed and others were injured in the US strikes, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, quoting a local official.
Khuzestan Deputy Governor Valiollah Hayati told reporters that three people were killed and others injured in an American attack on the outskirts of Ahvaz, according to the official Iranian news agency.
For its part, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced on Thursday that it had targeted US military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to the recent US strikes against the Islamic Republic, according to a statement carried by Iranian state television.
The Revolutionary Guard said it targeted “vital infrastructure and facilities” at the Arifjan and Ali al-Salem bases in Kuwait, and the Juffair and Sheikh Isa bases in Bahrain, with missiles and drones. It also warned that its response would expand to include other bases in the region if the US attacks were repeated.
On Wednesday, the United States began a new wave of airstrikes on Iran, in a new escalation between the two countries, hours after US President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum of understanding signed with Tehran last month was “over,” and hinted at the possibility of launching additional attacks overnight.
Explosions were heard in the cities of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran, and Chabahar and Konarak in Sistan and Baluchestan province in the southeast of the country.
An explosion was also heard again in the city of Bandar Abbas, located on the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
A U.S. official told Axios that the U.S. military bombed two railway bridges in northeastern Iran as part of strikes carried out on Wednesday.
These strikes represent the first US targeting of Iranian infrastructure since the ceasefire reached on April 8.
The US military launched cruise missiles at the two bridges, according to the US official.
Local media reported explosions in several areas on the Iranian coast, after the US military launched a new wave of strikes on targets inside Iran.
There were reports of several explosions near the major city of Bandar Abbas, the coastal city of Bushehr, and Abu Musa Island in the Gulf.
Iran's official news agency IRNA reported early Thursday that buildings at Iranshahr airport were damaged by projectiles, adding that a firefighter was killed in the incident.
Later, Trump said that US strikes against Iran would increase significantly if Tehran continued to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump wrote on social media above a picture he posted showing what appeared to be a bombing of a site in Iran: “This is retaliation for Iran’s attacks on ships yesterday. If it happens again, it will be much worse!”
Trump had said during a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara that he did not rule out launching new strikes against Iran.
In contrast, Iranian media confirmed that Tehran would close the Strait of Hormuz again and would respond “strongly” to any new American attack, while Pakistan called on both sides to abide by the memorandum of understanding it brokered to end the conflict.
When asked about the possibility of resuming military operations, Trump said: “We hit them very hard last night, and we may hit them very hard again tonight.”
Trump explained that the strikes were in response to what he described as Iranian attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz using drones and missiles, saying: “They are behaving very badly.”
Referring to the Iranian leadership, Trump said: “They had leaders, and they’re gone… and now they have another set of leaders. They may be gone too,” adding: “I may be gone too, because I’m at the top of their target list.”
In contrast, Iran’s official Press TV channel quoted a security source as saying that Tehran would close the Strait of Hormuz again if it were attacked by the United States, stressing that Iran would respond to any attack “very strongly.”
The source said that developments over the past two days have strengthened Iran’s resolve and prompted it to adopt a “new military strategy,” adding that his country is ready “to fight for the Strait of Hormuz.”
He noted that Iran has updated its target bank and will retaliate against any attack it faces, warning that Tehran “does not differentiate between the United States and its partners in the region” when responding to threats.
The Iranian source also stated that transit through the Strait of Hormuz must be carried out in accordance with the arrangements set by Iran under the memorandum of understanding, considering that Trump’s recent statements will not bring gains to Washington, and that they will lead to the loss of the negotiations, as he put it.
In the same context, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced that Islamabad urged the United States and Iran to fulfill their commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding , stressing that the agreement still represents “a solid foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity in the region and beyond.”
The ministry said Pakistan is calling on all parties to abide by their commitments, following Trump's announcement that the interim agreement reached last month was "over".
Last month, the United States and Iran, with Pakistani mediation, reached a 14-point interim agreement entitled “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America,” aimed at ending the war and opening the Strait of Hormuz to navigation.
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