US Launches Seventh Night of Strikes on Iran as Tehran Claims Major Counterattacks

The United States military announced on Friday night that it had initiated a seventh consecutive night of airstrikes across Iran, aiming to degrade the Islamic Republic's military capabilities. Iranian media reported explosions and attacks in multiple regions, including the port city of Bandar Abbas, Lar, Ahvaz in the southwest, and Yazd in central Iran.

In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed to have launched cruise missile attacks on a US ship in the northern Indian Ocean and destroyed a key artificial intelligence center in Bahrain, which they described as a hub for directing enemy war crimes. They also reported striking a US drone warehouse in Bahrain and hitting a maritime control tower previously targeted. Additionally, Iran stated it intercepted an American MQ-9 drone over Bushehr and caused two oil tankers to explode after passing through a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian naval commander Ali Azmai threatened to turn the sea into "hell for the Americans," while senior Revolutionary Guards advisor Mohsen Rezaei warned that if US attacks continue for another two to three days, Iran would escalate to full-scale offensive operations, making no political boundary safe from Iranian strikes.

Amid the escalating conflict, the US is reinforcing its military presence in Israel by sending dozens of aerial refueling tankers, with ten expected to arrive imminently. Reports also indicate deployment of fighter jets to the Middle East via Europe. Former President Donald Trump has yet to finalize a decision but appears prepared to intensify military actions to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz and complying with nuclear demands.

The US is reportedly considering further strikes on Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and nuclear facilities, such as the suspected underground site at Mount Makuh. In parallel, US embassies in the region have issued travel warnings urging citizens to reconsider trips to Israel and Arab countries due to the heightened risk of unpredictable escalation. Non-essential government staff are being relocated, and visa services have been suspended except for emergencies.

The ongoing strikes targeted at least seven bridges near Bandar Abbas, a strategic Revolutionary Guards hub for transporting supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has also intensified attacks on US bases in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, and Kuwait, and claimed to have struck a US base in Syria, despite American forces having withdrawn months earlier.