US Strikes Iran for Third Night; Bushehr, Bandar Abbas Hit
US Central Command hit Iranian port cities Bushehr and Bandar Abbas in a third consecutive night of strikes, killing three, as Iran widened retaliation to Bahrain and Jordan.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
US Central Command launched a third consecutive night of offensive strikes against Iran early Tuesday, hitting port cities including Bushehr and Bandar Abbas and killing at least three people, according to reports from The Guardian, Middle East Eye, and a CENTCOM statement. Iranian forces retaliated by expanding attacks beyond the Strait of Hormuz to targets in Bahrain and Jordan.
What we know
CENTCOM confirmed in an official readout that US forces “completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of targets at multiple locations with precision munitions.” The Guardian reported the strikes hit port cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas — both key nodes of Iran’s naval and commercial infrastructure along the Persian Gulf. Middle East Eye reported at least three people were killed in the overnight strikes.
The strikes followed President Trump’s warning Monday that Iran would be hit “very hard” and his threat to reimpose a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Middle East Eye reported Trump announced a 20 percent levy on transit through the strait as the exchange continued.
Iran expanded its retaliation to Bahrain and Jordan overnight, according to The Guardian, marking the first reported Iranian strikes on those two US-partner states in this cycle. Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters.
What we don’t know
Casualty and damage figures inside Bahrain and Jordan have not been confirmed by named government sources. Specific targets struck in both countries, and whether any US personnel were affected, remain undisclosed. Iranian government damage assessments from the Bushehr and Bandar Abbas strikes are also pending. This is a developing story.
Context
Tuesday’s third wave of strikes marks the most sustained US bombing campaign against Iranian territory in the current cycle, following the earlier Iranian missile attack on UAE-flagged tankers in the Strait of Hormuz that killed one sailor and drove Brent crude above $86. It also comes as Saudi Arabia intercepted a Houthi missile linked to the wider Iran-aligned response.
Bushehr is home to Iran’s civil nuclear power plant, and Bandar Abbas hosts the Iranian navy’s largest base and the country’s primary oil export terminals. Strikes on both cities represent a significant escalation of US targeting from earlier waves, which had focused on air defense sites and IRGC assets further inland.
What to watch
- Whether the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain publicly reports any impact from Iran’s expansion of retaliation to Bahraini territory.
- Any confirmation from Iranian state media on damage to the Bushehr nuclear plant or Bandar Abbas port and oil facilities.
- Whether Trump’s 20 percent Hormuz transit levy is formalized in a US Treasury or State Department order today, which would move the announcement from rhetoric to policy.
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