The U.S. ramped up its air campaign against Iran early Friday, striking additional bridges and apparently toppling a surveillance tower at a key Iranian port as President Trump followed through on threats to target the country’s infrastructure in an effort to loosen Tehran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran responded by launching another wave of missile attacks against U.S.-allied nations in the Middle East, including Qatar, which has played a central role in mediation efforts throughout the conflict.
The fragile ceasefire reached last month has now unraveled, giving way to days of escalating exchanges between U.S. and Iranian forces as both sides battle for control of the strategically vital waterway. Iranian officials claim American strikes have killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds, with additional casualties reported following Friday’s attacks.
When the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran effectively shut down shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil prices soaring and giving the regime significant leverage in negotiations.
Speaking during a primetime address to the nation, Trump said the military campaign is producing results.
“We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly,” Trump said.
Overnight strikes targeted bridges in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, killing at least seven people, according to Iranian state television. The attacks hit the coastal city of Bandar Khamir, which sits along the Strait of Hormuz.
The highway and railway bridges appeared to be targeted in an effort to further isolate Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port, from transportation routes connecting it to the country’s interior and the capital of Tehran.
Although alternate routes remain open, additional U.S. strikes could further disrupt the movement of military equipment as well as commercial goods needed throughout Iran.
U.S. Central Command said its latest operation struck dozens of targets before concluding at dawn Friday, marking the sixth straight night of American airstrikes.
The offensive also apparently brought down a surveillance tower at Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, according to Iran‘s state-run IRNA news agency. The port serves as a major trade hub, particularly for neighboring Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later shared an image showing the tower apparently collapsing as the Trump administration highlighted its campaign to challenge Iran’s control over the strategic shipping lane. The image had already been circulating on social media before Hegseth posted it.
Chabahar has been hit repeatedly during the conflict. Iranian state media confirmed a third round of U.S. strikes on the port on Friday but did not immediately acknowledge the tower’s apparent collapse.
Iran described the structure as monitoring commercial shipping traffic entering the port. However, the IRGC, formally known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also maintains a presence at ports across the country, raising questions about the facility’s broader role.
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