U.S. hits Iranian bridges as Hormuz fight widens
U.S. strikes damaged bridges, rail links and port facilities in southern Iran as Tehran claimed new attacks on American bases and allies.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
4 min read
The United States struck bridges, rail infrastructure and port facilities in southern Iran overnight into Friday, widening a nearly weeklong campaign tied to the battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said late Thursday that American forces hit Iranian “military logistics infrastructure” and “maritime capabilities” on the sixth straight night of strikes. Iranian officials and state media described the targets as civilian infrastructure.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that at least eight people were killed and 20 others were injured. IRNA said at least six bridges were hit, including one still being built.
The attacks appeared to focus on routes around Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port city. Iranian state-owned IRIB said a railway junction west of the city was also struck.
The bridge and rail damage could limit connections between Bandar Abbas and roads leading toward Tehran, although other routes remained open. The strikes may also affect the movement of military supplies and goods for Iran’s population of about 90 million, according to the reporting.
Port facilities and power infrastructure damaged
Iran acknowledged for the first time Friday that power infrastructure had been hit during the U.S. air campaign. The energy ministry asked people in southern provinces to cut electricity use, according to the state news agency ISNA.
Another strike damaged a maritime control tower in Chabahar, a major port on the Gulf of Oman that sits outside the Strait of Hormuz and is operated jointly with India.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image on X late Thursday showing the tower collapsing amid smoke. Mehr news agency said attacks on the tower, the third in recent days, could affect port operations.
President Donald Trump, speaking in a primetime address ahead of the midterm elections, said the campaign was going well. “We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly,” Trump said.
Trump had threatened strikes on Iranian infrastructure as tensions over the strait escalated into daily exchanges of fire and the return of a U.S. naval blockade.
Iran claims strikes on U.S. positions
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Friday it fired missiles and drones toward U.S. military bases in neighboring countries, including Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar. Qatar has been a mediator in the conflict.
Qatar’s interior ministry said on X that a child was injured by falling shrapnel during interception operations. In Bahrain, air sirens sounded and authorities urged people to seek safety Friday morning.
The Revolutionary Guard claimed it targeted radar sites and two HIMARS missile launch platforms in Kuwait, U.S. fighter jets and refueling aircraft in Jordan, and the Al-Tanf base in Syria. It said the Syria strike was aimed at a U.S. Special Operations command center.
NBC News said it could not verify those claims, and there was no immediate comment from the Pentagon. The U.S. military announced in February that it had handed Al-Tanf over to Syrian forces.
Shipping through Hormuz slows sharply
The fighting has again slowed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carried one-fifth of the world’s oil before the war.
Daily vessel traffic fell this week to around a dozen ships, according to Kpler, after rising during the ceasefire.
Tehran has sought to make ships use a route close to Iranian shores and pay a transit fee, while declaring the whole waterway closed. The U.S. has pushed vessels closer to Oman and reimposed its naval blockade.
Despite the military escalation, Washington and Tehran still appeared to be in contact. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that Iran wants to “make a deal with us” and said U.S. strikes were a response to Iran firing on commercial ships in the strait.
Trump also praised Iran’s release of Dena Karari, an American citizen imprisoned since 2024. A White House official told NBC News that Karari was safely outside Iran and expected to return home in the coming days.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.