Day 141 | US launches strikes on Iran for seventh night in a row
US military executed its seventh consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran. The renewed bombing campaign marks a significant escalation following the total collapse of recent peace talks.
The latest American wave of strikes was launched in direct retaliation to a massive, coordinated assault by Tehran. Iranian forces fired what appeared to be their largest barrage of attacks since the diplomatic track broke down, intentionally targeting key US allies in the region, including Qatar, Kuwait.
On the ground, the impact of the continuous US aerial campaign is severely impacting Iran's logistics.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, recent US precision bombing successfully hit and destroyed several critical bridges across southern Iran.
Many of the targeted bridges are located on vital transit routes connected directly to Bandar Abbas, a highly strategic coastal city situated on the Strait of Hormuz.
The destruction of these transport links appears aimed at choking off internal supply lines to the coast.
In response to the American bombardment, Iranian leadership has issued explicit warnings that the conflict could expand into an all-out regional war.
A top Iranian military adviser declared that the United States could face a "full-scale offensive" within the coming days if the American air barrage is allowed to continue through the weekend.
Furthermore, following the US destruction of an Iranian surveillance tower near the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has explicitly threatened to retaliate against key commercial ports in neighboring Persian Gulf states.
The escalating rhetoric and shifting target profiles indicate that the maritime and energy corridors of the Gulf remain under immediate threat.
IRGC claims Strait of Hormuz 'completely closed'
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a critical announcement claiming that the Strait of Hormuz is now completely closed and highly dangerous, while confirming that two oil tankers exploded after entering a mined zone south of the strategic waterway.
The developments mark a severe escalation in the maritime conflict, threatening a total halt to energy and cargo transits through the region.
Tanker explosions in mined zone
According to the statement released by the IRGC, the two oil tankers exploded and caught fire when they attempted to pass through a specific pathway planted with mines located south of the Strait of Hormuz.
Following the detonations, the IRGC firmly laid the blame for the crisis on Washington, asserting that the strategic chokepoint has been rendered entirely impassable.
"We firmly confirm that the Strait of Hormuz has become highly dangerous and completely closed due to the aggressions of the US military," the IRGC stated.
Total export freeze
The economic ramifications of the closure are absolute, according to the Guard's declaration.
The IRGC warned that as long as American military operations continue, the region's energy and agricultural exports will remain entirely blocked.
"As long as American aggressions continue, neither fertilizers nor any drop of oil and gas can be exported from the region," the IRGC warned.
Concluding the statement, the military branch issued an explicit directive to international maritime firms and shipping lines to avoid the area entirely.
The IRGC stated that all vessels must strictly refrain from entering the mined pathway in the Strait of Hormuz in order to preserve their investments and protect the lives of their crews.
IRGC claims downing of US MQ-9 drone over Bushehr
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Saturday that its air defense units successfully shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone operating in the airspace over the southern coastal province of Bushehr.
Five consecutive explosions rock Yazd, central Iran: IRNA
Five large explosions were heard echoing through the central city of Yazd on Saturday, according to the state-run Iranian News Agency (IRNA), marking a significant geographical expansion of the ongoing military strikes into the country's interior.
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Read more: Day 140 | Sixth night of US strikes as Iran vows retaliation and targets US assets
