UNIPA NEWS || DUBAI — The United States carried out a new wave of airstrikes across Iran early Thursday, while Tehran responded by launching missiles and drones toward several U.S.-allied countries in the Gulf, escalating concerns that a fragile ceasefire aimed at ending the Middle East conflict is rapidly unraveling.
Air raid sirens sounded multiple times in Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, as authorities intercepted incoming projectiles. Kuwait reported intercepting three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile, and 10 drones, with falling debris injuring one person. Missiles were also reportedly launched toward Qatar, while sirens were activated in Jordan, where U.S. military personnel are stationed.
The latest exchange followed renewed U.S. military operations targeting Iranian territory. U.S. Central Command said its forces struck approximately 90 targets across Iran, including missile launch infrastructure and transportation facilities. According to the U.S. military, the operation was intended to further reduce Iran’s capability to threaten maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian authorities reported explosions in several provinces, including Bushehr, Khuzestan, Golestan, and other southern regions. An Iranian official accused the United States of conducting a strike near the Bushehr nuclear power plant, although there were no immediate reports of damage to the Russian-operated nuclear facility. The U.S. military did not immediately comment on the allegation.
Iran’s Health Ministry said the two days of U.S. airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded 78 others, with most of the casualties reported to be members of the armed forces. State media also reported three civilian deaths in Khuzestan and the death of a firefighter during a strike near an airport in Iranshahr. Earlier strikes had reportedly killed at least nine members of Iran’s military.
For the first time in several months, U.S. strikes also reportedly targeted transportation infrastructure, including railway bridges in northeastern Iran. Iranian authorities said two bridges along the route to Mashhad were hit, where preparations are underway for the burial of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The renewed military escalation came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that recent Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the effective end of the temporary ceasefire. He cautioned that any further attacks on maritime traffic would prompt a stronger U.S. response and warned that the situation “will get much worse” if such incidents continue.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, handling a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Disruptions to shipping during the conflict have already reduced vessel traffic, driven up global energy prices, and increased the cost of essential goods in multiple regions.
The latest military exchanges have heightened regional tensions and raised fears that the conflict could expand further, involving additional countries across the Gulf and threatening international energy security.
