Tehran: The United States has intensified its military campaign against Iran by tightening its blockade of Iranian ports and expanding airstrikes across the country, further escalating the ongoing conflict. Among the latest targets was Shahid Baghaei Hospital in Ahvaz, where a US airstrike severely damaged the pediatric cancer treatment ward, forcing the emergency evacuation of children undergoing chemotherapy and other patients. The attack on a medical facility has triggered widespread international criticism.
Iran has reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until US military operations cease. As hostilities intensified, Iran also launched retaliatory attacks against US allies. Explosions were reported from several locations across the country, including Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak, Rask City, Khondab and Khorramabad.
Iranian authorities said seven soldiers were killed in a strike on a military base, while the nationwide death toll has risen to 35, with more than 300 people injured. Air defence systems have been activated in Tehran amid fears of further attacks. Reports also indicated that Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear power plant, came under US attack.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) maintained that its operations are aimed at Iranian military facilities posing a threat to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The US also intercepted the oil tanker Belma with a missile strike while it was allegedly attempting to bypass the blockade on Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for attacking the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Bahrain and said it had shot down an American MQ-9 drone over Andimeshk in southwestern Iran. Coalition forces in Iraq reportedly destroyed eight explosive-laden drones near the US Consulate in Erbil.
Despite the escalating conflict, Washington approved new arms sales worth $1.96 billion to Saudi Arabia and $484 million to Kuwait. Former US President Donald Trump indicated that Iran was willing to engage in peace talks but warned that Tehran would face even stronger military action if negotiations failed. Although Iran's release of American citizen Dina Karari, who had been detained since 2024, has been viewed as a positive development, tensions between the two countries remain high. The continuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has also intensified concerns over disruptions to the global oil market.