As U.S. strikes bridges in Iran, it targets a water desalination plant in Kuwait

The United States intensified its airstrike campaign against Iran early Friday, striking additional bridges and energy sites, and causing a tower collapse at a crucial Iranian port. These actions align with President Donald Trump's threats to target infrastructure to pressure Tehran into easing its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

In response, Iran launched missile attacks against U.S.-allied nations in the Middle East, including Qatar and Kuwait. In Kuwait, a vital power and water desalination plant was damaged. The interim ceasefire that was established last month has now collapsed, leading to several days of retaliatory attacks between the U.S. and Iran over control of the strait.

Iranian officials claim that recent U.S. strikes have resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries, with further casualties reported from Friday's attacks. The conflict, which began on February 28, led Iran to effectively close the strait to shipping, causing oil prices to surge and giving Iran significant leverage in negotiations. As shipping traffic through the strait reached a three-week low, oil prices climbed above $86 per barrel, nearing their highest point in a month.

President Trump, in a televised address, asserted that the war was progressing favorably, stating, "We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly." Prior to the war, the U.S. had been engaged in nuclear program talks with Iran. Trump now faces political pressure to conclude the conflict and avoid a protracted Middle East war, a stance he campaigned against.

In Iran, U.S. airstrikes overnight hit bridges in the southern Hormozgan province, reportedly killing at least seven people. The attacks targeted Bandar Khamir, a coastal city on the Strait of Hormuz. These strikes on highway and railway bridges appear designed to isolate Iran's main port, Bandar Abbas, from its central regions. While alternative routes remain open, further U.S. strikes could disrupt the movement of essential goods for Iran's population of 90 million people. Iran's Energy Ministry acknowledged "attacks on power infrastructure" for the first time, urging reduced power consumption in southern provinces experiencing extreme heat.

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We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.