US launches seventh straight night of strikes on Iran amid escalating conflict fears

The United States military has launched a seventh straight night of airstrikes on Iran, which it says are designed to degrade Iranian military capabilities. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated the strikes began Friday evening, targeting Iran's military assets.

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The strikes began at 19:00 GMT (10:30pm in Iran) and were “designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief’s direction”.

Explosions were reported in Yazd and Sirik in central and southern Iran early Saturday, according to state news agencies. Tehran has accused Washington of targeting civilian infrastructure and committing war crimes, releasing footage of damaged bridges and railway lines. Iran has vowed to retaliate by striking US-linked assets in the Gulf region, warning of severe humanitarian consequences.

The conflict continues to escalate, fueling fears of a wider conflagration. Major-General Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, warned that Tehran would move beyond deterrence to "offense and complete destruction" if US attacks persist. He stated Iran would no longer limit itself to proportional responses and that "no political border will be safe."

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Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses … and no political border will be safe.

Iran has already claimed to have struck a depot housing US drones in Bahrain late Friday, though Washington has not confirmed this. The IRGC also claimed responsibility for attacks on US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, and Syria following US strikes that Iran said killed eight people overnight Thursday into Friday. Kuwait reported that Iran had struck a power and water plant, damaging electricity generation units and causing a fire.

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Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses … and no political border will be safe.