US hits more bridges in Iran in expansion of its air strike campaign

The United States intensified its air strike campaign against Iran early Friday, increasingly targeting bridges in an expansion of President Donald Trump's strategy to pressure Tehran. The move comes amid escalating tensions and a collapse of the interim ceasefire.

Iran retaliated by launching new missile attacks against US-allied nations in the Middle East. In Qatar, authorities urged the public to take shelter as Iranian missiles targeted the nation, with explosions heard overhead as air defenses intercepted the projectiles. Qatar serves as a key mediator with Pakistan in efforts to end the Iran war, but talks have faltered over Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials reported that US strikes have resulted in over 35 deaths and more than 300 wounded, with new casualties reported from Friday's attacks. The conflict escalated after the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, leading Tehran to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic. This action sent oil prices soaring and gave Iran significant leverage in negotiations.

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

President Trump, speaking to the American public, asserted that the war was progressing favorably. "We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labour very, very shortly," he stated. Meanwhile, Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for the Iranian military, threatened widespread attacks on regional infrastructure if the US followed through on warnings to strike Iranian bridges and power plants. "Under no circumstances and in no way will we allow America, as a foreign and extraregional country, to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz," he added. "This is Iran's invincible red line."

The US air strikes hit bridges in Iran's southern Hormozgan province overnight into Friday, killing at least seven people, according to Iranian state television. The attacks targeted Bandar Khamir, a coastal city on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media also reported that US strikes on Thursday hit areas around Tehran and Semnan province, regions associated with Iran's ballistic missile production and space program. Mr. Trump has reiterated threats to target Iranian power stations and bridges to compel Iran to ease its control over the strait, a vital waterway through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas once passed in peacetime.

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Under no circumstances and in no way will we allow America, as a foreign and extraregional country, to interfere in the Strait of Hormuz. This is Iran's invincible red line.