The United States has launched a twelfth consecutive night of military strikes targeting sites in southern Iran, further escalating tensions in the Gulf region. According to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the operations are intended to weaken Tehran’s capacity to threaten commercial shipping and civilian maritime activities in regional waters.
Iranian authorities reported strikes in several southern provinces, including Bushehr and Khuzestan. A missile attack on the Shalamcheh border crossing between Iran and Iraq reportedly killed two people and injured eleven others. Tehran has warned that continued attacks on Iranian infrastructure could trigger broader regional consequences.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for retaliatory strikes against United States military installations in Kuwait and Jordan, asserting that its operations specifically target American military assets rather than civilian populations. Regional states, including Jordan and Bahrain, have reported intercepting missiles and drones amid heightened security concerns.
Iranian officials have reiterated that any further aggression will provoke a “powerful and decisive response,” while Washington has signaled its willingness to continue military operations. Analysts warn that sustained escalation risks widening the conflict across the Middle East, threatening regional stability, energy security, and international maritime commerce.