US strikes continue on Iran... and Tehran expands the circle of retaliation

The United States escalated its strikes on Iran on Friday for the sixth consecutive night, while Tehran announced the deaths of eight people in strikes targeting civilian infrastructure, coinciding with attacks on Gulf states, including a strike on an electricity plant, in a new expansion of the conflict zone.

The US military 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 that the electricity grid in the south was damaged by the raids and called on residents to conserve power. It also reported that bridges, a port, an airport, and a train station were bombed.

The official news agency (IRNA) reported 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's Aerospace Force, Majid Mousavi, threatened on Friday that Tehran would not stop its attacks in the region until the United States halts 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, so Tehran and the south form a single unit,' adding, 'Our effective and precise strikes from all 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 this week to hit bridges and power plants in Iran if no agreement was reached.

In response, state TV quoted a spokesman for the Iranian army 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.

Rationalizing energy consumption

Kuwait announced on Friday that one of its electricity and water desalination plants was hit by an Iranian attack, resulting in a fire and damage, calling on citizens to 'rationalize electricity consumption at this exceptional stage.'

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Temperatures reached 48 degrees Celsius in Kuwait and 45 degrees Celsius in southwestern Iran on Friday.

Earlier, the armed forces of Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar announced they had repelled aerial attacks at dawn on Friday.

In Qatar, a child was wounded by shrapnel, while Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced it targeted the US Al Udeid base, claiming destruction of radar systems and military aircraft there.

The Iranian 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 response to the US overnight strikes.

Tehran had earlier said that US strikes since June 22 had killed 38 people and injured over 400.

Strait of Hormuz

The war in the Middle East erupted on February 28 last year 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 that later collapsed.

Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and chief Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had earlier said, 'The memorandum of understanding only acquires its meaning when its clauses are in effect and being 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 that they still want to reach an agreement. We are talking to them, but the president will not allow them to fire on ships in the strait without consequences.'

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Ship hit

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

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 vessel 'is proceeding to its next port of call.'

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