US Strikes Southern Iran Near Qeshm Island on Sixth Consecutive Night
US forces struck locations near Qeshm Island in southern Iran on Thursday night, CENTCOM and Iranian state media confirmed — the sixth consecutive night of American strikes and a new front near the Strait of Hormuz.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
US forces launched a new wave of airstrikes against Iran on Thursday night, hitting locations in the country’s south near Qeshm Island at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command and Iranian state media reports carried by AFP. It is the sixth consecutive night of American strikes on Iran and opens a new geographic front after this morning’s expansion into the north.
What we know
CENTCOM said in a Thursday statement that “at 2 p.m. ET today, U.S. forces began conducting” a new wave of strikes aimed at “further degrading Iranian military capabilities,” according to reporting by Middle East Monitor and the BBC. The Hill confirmed the strikes as the sixth day in a row of US military action against Iran.
Iranian state TV reported two explosions in a southern city Thursday night, Middle East Eye reported citing AFP. Iran’s Mehr News Agency, citing Iranian officials, said US projectiles struck locations near Qeshm Island — a large island off Iran’s Persian Gulf coast that sits at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz and hosts naval facilities.
The Times of Israel reported that de-escalation prospects “appear to fade” as Tehran continues to target US positions in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, and has warned it will strike civilian infrastructure across the region if President Trump follows through on threats to attack Iranian power plants and bridges.
What we don’t know
The specific targets, number of munitions, and any casualty figures from the Qeshm-area strikes have not been released. CENTCOM has not confirmed the precise coordinates, and Iranian authorities have not yet issued a damage assessment. This is a developing story and details are expected to evolve overnight.
Context
Thursday’s strikes represent a rapid widening of the US bombing campaign. Earlier in the day US strikes had expanded into northern Iran and hit closer to Tehran for the first time. Iran retaliated by striking US bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, and Kuwait’s Defence Ministry confirmed material damage to vital facilities from those strikes.
Qeshm Island’s proximity to the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most important oil chokepoint, through which roughly a fifth of global crude passes — makes any US strike in that area strategically sensitive. Iran has previously used Qeshm’s naval facilities to stage Revolutionary Guard fast-attack craft and drones that would be central to any move to close or contest the Strait. Earlier this week US forces already struck an oil tanker with a Hellfire missile near Kharg Island.
What to watch
- Whether Iran retaliates specifically over the southern strikes, and whether that retaliation targets shipping or US Fifth Fleet assets in the Gulf.
- Oil markets at Asia open — Brent and WTI reactions to strikes so close to Hormuz.
- Any CENTCOM battle-damage assessment or Iranian confirmation of targets hit near Qeshm overnight.
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