US strikes continue on Iran... Tehran expands scope of response

The United States escalated its strikes on Iran for the sixth consecutive night on Friday, as Tehran announced the deaths of eight people in bombings that hit civilian infrastructure, coinciding with attacks on Gulf states, including a strike on a power station, in a new expansion of the conflict.

The US Army said on platform X that it attacked 'dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and naval facilities' on Thursday night into Friday.

Iran announced damage to the electricity grid in the south from the raids and called on residents to conserve electricity. It also reported that bridges, a port, an airport, and a train station were bombed.

The official news agency IRNA announced the deaths of eight people and injuries to 20 others in attacks targeting these facilities overnight.

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Infrastructure

The commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, Majid Mousavi, threatened on Friday that Tehran would not stop its attacks in the region until the United States ceases its strikes on Iran's southern coast and the Strait of Hormuz, according to AFP.

Majid Mousavi said in a social media post: 'In our calculations, every inch of Iran's land is Iran, and Tehran and the south form a single unit,' adding: 'Our effective and precise strikes launched from various parts of Iran against the enemy will continue until calm returns to the southern coast and the Strait of Hormuz.'

US President Donald Trump had threatened during the week to strike bridges and power plants in Iran if no agreement was reached.

In response, state television quoted an Iranian army spokesman as saying: 'If the Americans target infrastructure, then all infrastructure in the region will become legitimate targets for Iran.'

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk had affirmed during the conflict that targeting civilian infrastructure constitutes a war crime.

Energy conservation

Kuwait announced on Friday that one of its power and water desalination plants was hit by an Iranian attack, causing a fire and damage, calling on citizens to 'conserve electricity during this exceptional stage.'

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Temperatures on Friday reached 48°C in Kuwait and 45°C in southwestern Iran.

Earlier, the armed forces of Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar announced that they repelled airstrikes at dawn on Friday.

In Qatar, a child was wounded by shrapnel, while Iran's IRGC announced it targeted the US Al Udeid base, claiming to have destroyed radar systems and military aircraft there.

Iran's armed forces said they targeted US military sites in Kuwait with explosive drones and bombed US aircraft in Jordan using ballistic missiles and drones, in retaliation for the US overnight strikes.

Tehran had earlier said that US strikes since June 22 had killed 38 people and wounded more than 400.

Strait of Hormuz

The war in the Middle East erupted on February 28 following Israeli-US strikes on Iran and continues to shake the global economy.

The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan on Friday called on the warring parties to resume negotiations within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June, which later collapsed.

Iran's Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf had said earlier that 'the memorandum of understanding gains its meaning only when its clauses are in effect and implemented.'

Islamabad also called for a 'swift return to normalcy in the Strait of Hormuz,' which Iran re-closed at the end of last week. In response, the United States reimposed its blockade on Iranian ports.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Trump 'remains open to diplomacy at the same time.'

She added that the Iranians 'have told the president they still want to reach a deal. We are talking to them, but the president will not allow them to shoot at ships in the strait without consequences.'

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Ship hit

Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war, has decreased.

A ship was hit by an 'unidentified projectile' off the coast of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The attack, which occurred on Thursday 19 nautical miles from the Omani city of Khasab, resulted in 'minor structural damage,' according to the agency's statement, which noted that the crew was 'safe' and the ship 'continues its course to its next destination.'

In contrast, oil prices remained relatively stable despite developments, with Brent crude at around $85 a barrel on Friday.