Iran hits military infrastructure in Gulf states

DUBAI — Iranian armed forces launched attacks on U.S. military infrastructure in several Gulf states on Thursday following recent U.S. strikes on Iran's southern coastal and eastern provinces, further escalating tensions and effectively ending a three-week-old ceasefire.

Iranian media reported multiple explosions across southern Iran, including in Bushehr, home to one of the country's nuclear power plants, as well as Konarak, Choghadak, and Bandar Abbas. A U.S. official said there had been no American strikes in recent hours.

The latest violence came as Iran buried Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a shrine in Mashhad after a week of funeral processions and public rallies. Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on Feb. 28 during the opening day of the war, when U.S. and Israeli forces launched coordinated attacks on Iran, triggering a conflict that has killed thousands and disrupted global energy markets.

The ceasefire unraveled earlier this week after attacks targeted Qatari and Saudi shipping vessels. U.S. President Donald Trump later declared the truce "over."

Despite the renewed fighting, a second U.S. official said Washington remains committed to seeking a diplomatic resolution with Iran and confirmed that technical discussions are continuing.

Trump has faced growing political pressure as the prolonged conflict continues, with rising gasoline prices and voter dissatisfaction becoming major concerns ahead of this year's U.S. midterm elections.

Thousands gathered for Khamenei's funeral in Mashhad, where mourners carried banners condemning the United States and chanting anti-American slogans.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy accused the United States of disrupting efforts to restore commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, saying shipping activity has recovered to about 50% of pre-war levels under Iranian supervision. The Guards said only vessels following routes approved by Tehran are being allowed to transit the strategic waterway and warned that any further U.S. intervention would receive a "crushing response."

The U.S. military said its operations were intended to keep the Strait of Hormuz open after accusing Iranian forces of attacking three commercial tankers in the area. It said more than 800 commercial vessels carrying about 380 million barrels of crude oil have safely passed through the strait since early May, maintaining that Iran does not control the international waterway.

Oil prices retreated Thursday after earlier gains driven by concerns that the escalating conflict could further disrupt global energy supplies.

Iran targets U.S. military sites

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces struck about 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, and missile and drone storage sites.

Trump said the strikes were carried out in response to attacks on commercial shipping, warning that any future attacks by Iran would be met with an even stronger military response.

Iranian state media reported that the U.S. strikes on July 8 and 9 killed 14 people and injured 78 across five provinces. The Fars news agency said one strike damaged a railway bridge used for trade with Russia and China.

A local official in Bushehr said a U.S. projectile struck the perimeter of the Russian-built nuclear power plant. The surrounding area had previously been hit several times before an earlier ceasefire in April.

Iran's army said it launched attacks targeting U.S. Patriot missile systems in Kuwait, an early warning site in Qatar, and a U.S. Army fuel depot in Bahrain.

Kuwait said its air defenses intercepted a cruise missile, three ballistic missiles, and 10 drones, adding that one person was injured by falling debris.

Air raid sirens also sounded in Jordan after Iranian missiles were detected. Jordanian authorities said eight missiles were intercepted, with no casualties or damage reported.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards later claimed responsibility for firing 10 ballistic missiles at Jordan's Azraq military base, which is used by U.S. forces, as well as a U.S. military command center elsewhere in the Middle East, although no additional details were provided.

Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region, condemned attacks on commercial shipping while urging all sides to return to diplomacy.

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Oman also called for restraint during separate conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. In a separate call with Pakistan's army chief, Araqchi criticized what he described as U.S. "warmongering policies."

Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz handled about one-fifth of the world's oil supply. Iran has since tightened its control over shipping through the waterway, increasing concerns over global energy security.

Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened only under arrangements determined by Tehran, rejecting what he described as U.S. pressure. -Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Gareth Jones, David Brunnstrom and Costas Pitas; Editing by David Gaffen, Don Durfee and Sanjeev Miglani/Reuters