US Military Opens Deadly Arsenal as Heavens Open Up in Escalating Iran War; 38 Killed as America Launches Seven Overnight Strikes

The United States launched a seventh consecutive night of military strikes on Iran as the conflict in the Middle East intensified, while Tehran threatened a “full-scale offensive” and carried out attacks on several American military installations across the Gulf region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that two oil tankers allegedly directed by what it described as “deceptive American intelligence agencies” exploded after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim swiftly denied by the US military. The Guards also claimed they intercepted four vessels attempting to transit the strategic waterway.

A senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, warned that Tehran would resume “full-scale offensive operations” if US strikes continue for another two or three days.

“Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses, and no political border will be safe,” Rezaei was quoted as saying by the Iranian state news agency IRIB.

US Central Command, in a statement posted on X, confirmed that American forces continued operations aimed at degrading Iran’s military capabilities.

The latest escalation marks the most intense phase of the conflict since hostilities resumed on February 28, with Iran accusing the United States of targeting civilian infrastructure, including an airport, a railway station and two bridges. Tehran also claimed responsibility for attacks on US military assets across the region.

Although US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike critical Iranian infrastructure, Washington had not officially confirmed such operations as of Friday.

The war began on February 28 following coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran responded by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes, while also launching attacks against Israel and American interests in the Gulf.

According to maritime tracking firms Kpler and MarineTraffic, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a three-week low on Thursday amid heightened security concerns.

Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, reported that US attacks killed three people and injured eight others in Hormozgan Province on Saturday.

The Iranian military said it had targeted multiple US-linked military sites in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.

According to Iranian state media, attacks in Kuwait struck ammunition depots and headquarters at Al-Adiri Camp and Ali Al-Salem Air Base, as well as communication infrastructure. In Jordan, fuel storage facilities at Al-Azraq Air Base were reportedly targeted, while Iran also claimed responsibility for attacks on Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base, describing it as one of the US military’s key operational and logistical hubs in the region.

Jordan’s military said it intercepted 10 Iranian missiles without casualties or damage, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that air raid sirens were activated following the attacks.

David Khalfa, a Middle East specialist at the Jean-Jaurès Foundation in Paris, said an increasing range of strategic infrastructure was being drawn into the conflict.

“The paradox is that, while the conflict continues to escalate, neither side has a strategic interest in allowing this dynamic to continue. Yet both perceive any compromise as a form of capitulation,” Khalfa told AFP.

Iranian authorities also accused the United States of disrupting drinking water supplies to several southern villages after missiles allegedly struck power facilities and desalination pumps at Bonji village. The Energy Ministry urged citizens to conserve electricity as the national grid came under pressure amid soaring temperatures.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s electricity ministry said an Iranian attack damaged a power and water facility, while the country’s military reported that several soldiers were injured after Iranian drones targeted a number of military bases.

Iran further claimed responsibility for attacks on US radar systems and military aircraft in Qatar, saying the strikes were intended to “punish the aggressor.” Qatar said it intercepted a missile attack.

Tehran also announced strikes on two US radar sites in Oman and the Al-Tanf military base in Syria. However, a Syrian military source denied any attack occurred, while US officials said forces had already withdrawn from the Al-Tanf base earlier this year.

In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, drone and rocket attacks killed nine members of the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, an exiled Kurdish opposition group that blamed Iran for the assault.

Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 injured since fighting resumed.

Despite the escalating violence, international efforts to revive diplomacy continue. China and Pakistan have urged both Washington and Tehran to halt hostilities and return to negotiations, while attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade of Iranian ports continue to heighten fears of a broader regional conflict.

AFP