The US military launched fresh strikes near Iran’s Qeshm Island and the city of Abadan, ending a period of relative calm. Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy governor of Iran’s Hormozgan province, said American forces struck a point near Qeshm early Thursday morning, according to the Mehr news agency.
One of the strikes hit a residential house in the Chah Tangu neighborhood on Qeshm Island, where a family of five was living. Local officials said search and rescue teams searched through the rubble for survivors. Iranian health officials later confirmed that three people were killed and two others were injured in the attack. Rescue workers pulled two children from the rubble and took them to nearby hospitals for treatment, while search teams continued looking for other family members.
A security official in Iran’s Khuzestan province confirmed to Iranian state media that American forces hit locations around Abadan city, though the official did not share more details about damage or injuries.
The US military said it had launched a major wave of strikes across Iran, targeting dozens of sites linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. Residents also reported hearing explosions in the northern city of Ahvaz.
These new strikes came a day after Iran attempted a surprise attack on US military sites. After the US intercepted the attack, President Trump ordered to respond, bringing an end to several days of relative calm in the region. According to reports, the Iranian attack was aimed at a US military base in Jordan.
Later the same day, US and Saudi forces carried out a separate joint operation targeting Iran-supported armed groups in Iraq. The attacks destroyed weapons storage and logistics facilities and reportedly killed at least four members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with 20 fighters from Iraqi militia groups.
Hours after the strikes, warning sirens were activated in Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait’s military said it was responding to what it described as hostile missile and drone activity. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates condemned the attack on the US military base in Jordan, calling it a violation of Jordan’s sovereignty and security.
Qeshm Island holds major strategic importance located near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. Any disturbance near the area instantly affects global markets because a large share of the world’s oil passes through these waters every day.
Oil prices increased after the fighting resumed. Meanwhile, shipping companies started looking for safer routes after the Iran-backed Houthi armed group warned that Saudi ships heading toward the Indian Ocean would be targeted.
The latest strikes are part of the ongoing war between Iran and the United States, which began earlier this year. US forces have previously targeted sites inside Iran, including a desalination plant on Qeshm Island in March. Both sides have continued exchanging attacks, as tensions across the region remain high.
