The United States informed Israel that it intends to expand its strikes against Iran to include infrastructure and energy facilities, as the U.S. military launched another wave of attacks Thursday night against the Iranian regime. The latest strikes, carried out for a fifth consecutive night, targeted an airport, bridges and a communications tower, according to Iranian media reports.
Despite the escalation, Israeli officials assess that Iran does not currently want to fire at Israel and risk drawing the IDF into the confrontation. Jerusalem, however, views that assessment as far from certain and is preparing for the possibility of an Iranian attack. “We are ready, and if they make that mistake, they will pay a heavy price. Let them come,” an Israeli official said.
Iran has publicly threatened to broaden its attacks if the United States further intensifies its campaign. Tehran has so far targeted Gulf states and American military bases across the Middle East. Iranian launches were reported toward Jordan and Kuwait, where authorities said 32 drones were intercepted Thursday. Tasnim news agency reported that U.S. forces struck a communications tower in the port city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz, while a separate report said seven people were wounded in the strike.
U.S. fighter jets later attacked Iranshahr Airport in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, according to Iranian media. Explosions were also reported in Bandar Khamir and Kohurestan district. Several bridges were hit, including one intended to maintain the road connection between Bandar Abbas and Shiraz, and electricity supplies were disrupted in parts of Kohurestan. Iranian media reported that one person was killed and eight others wounded in one of the strikes in Hormozgan province, while two civilians were reportedly wounded in a U.S. attack on a railway station in Bandar Abbas.
Iran’s Fars news agency said the attacks damaged both the Kohurestan Bridge and the Giriyeh Bridge. “Two people were killed and four were wounded in these attacks,” the agency reported. “The Bandar Abbas-Khamir-Lar road is completely blocked, and the Keshar-Kohurestan road is also blocked.”
At the same time, U.S. Central Command said Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded the oil tanker Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman to verify that it was complying with the U.S. maritime blockade on Iran. CENTCOM said three commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade had so far been diverted, another vessel had been disabled after failing to obey instructions and one had been inspected. The military said the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters remained open to maritime traffic, except for vessels attempting to violate the blockade.
Israeli officials say two developments could bring Israel back into the fighting: a direct Iranian attack on Israel or a U.S. request for Israel to join the strikes. Neither has happened, and the confrontation between Washington and Tehran remains limited despite the intensified campaign. Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar said they were working to restart negotiations and noted that neither side had announced its withdrawal from the memorandum of understanding reached between Washington and Tehran. They said freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remained the central issue in the talks.
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