U.S. strikes against Iran are increasing in number and are now reaching beyond areas along the country’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports of explosions in Iranian media, signaling an escalation of the latest wave of attacks, CNN reported.
During the night, most U.S. strikes remained concentrated in areas along Iran’s southern coast. However, one strike hit a military facility in Na’in, central Iran, killing one person and injuring seven others, according to the province’s deputy governor, cited by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
More strikes were also reported over the weekend. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it targeted 140 locations overnight Saturday, compared with 90 targets on Wednesday night and 80 on Tuesday evening. For the latest strikes, CENTCOM did not provide an exact figure, stating only that U.S. forces hit “dozens of targets at multiple locations.”
At least one of the strikes reportedly hit civilian infrastructure. A water pumping station in Mahshahr County on Iran’s southern coast was targeted, killing a security guard at the facility and injuring four others, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.
Geolocated and verified footage reviewed by CNN also showed an Iranian aircraft hangar at an airport in the southwestern city of Omidiyeh engulfed in flames. A telecommunications tower near the village of Taherouyi in Sirik County was also reportedly hit, according to IRIB.
The latest wave of attacks indicates that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran has effectively collapsed, while Tehran says it is responding with strikes of its own against U.S. bases in the region.
However, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton described the current phase of the conflict as “a series of attacks and counterattacks, strikes and counterstrikes,” aimed at maintaining pressure while preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.
