US-Iran Exchange Escalates as Washington Targets Tehran's Infrastructure

Washington DC/ Tehran: The United States and Iran exchanged fresh strikes on Saturday, targeting military and infrastructure sites as their confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz intensified, with no sign of an end to the conflict.

The US Central Command said its seventh consecutive night of strikes targeted surveillance facilities, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage sites and maritime capabilities. Iranian state media reported attacks on an electricity and desalination plant in Hormozgan province, as well as strikes on highways, tunnels, a bridge and strategic Qeshm Island near Bandar Abbas.

Iran said at least 46 people had been killed and over 400 injured in recent US strikes, while the US confirmed 13 additional service members were wounded, taking total American casualties since the war began to 14 dead and 427 injured.

Iran continued to target countries hosting US forces. Kuwait said it intercepted Iranian missiles and drones, though a desalination plant caught fire in the second such attack in two days. Several firefighters and a worker were injured. Kuwait briefly closed its airspace, while Iraq intercepted drones over Irbil and Jordan and Bahrain activated air defences against incoming missiles.

The conflict remains centred on the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade passed before the war. Iran insists the strait is under its sole control and has demanded transit fees, while the US has reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and vowed to keep the waterway open.

Oil prices climbed above $86 a barrel as shipping through the strait dropped to a three-week low. US President Donald Trump said the war was progressing well and reiterated his threat to target more Iranian infrastructure if Tehran failed to ease its grip on the strategic waterway. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned countries hosting US forces to expect further retaliation.