Iran Guards say US command centre in Syria targeted after strikes damage bridges

WEB DESK: At least three people were killed and several others injured after US airstrikes damaged two key bridges in southern Iran’s Hormozgan province, Iranian state media reported on Friday.

The precision strikes targeted transport infrastructure west of the port city of Bandar Abbas. According to Iranian state commentators, the missiles were launched using US mobile rocket systems operating from Kuwait, where American forces maintain a significant military presence.

Severe infrastructure damage

The state-run IRNA news agency confirmed that the two bridges, situated near the coastal town of Bandar Khamir and the village of Kahourestan, suffered severe structural damage in the overnight bombardment. Local officials stated that at least three civilians died and nine others were wounded during the attack on the vital transit routes.

The strikes are part of an expanded air campaign by the United States targeting Iranian coastal and transport infrastructure. Washington had previously warned that it would target transport links and energy installations to pressure Tehran into easing its naval restrictions in the region.

The attack has further heightened regional instability, coming hours after the collapse of an interim ceasefire. US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed it has intensified operations to enforce a naval blockade, redirecting and disabling commercial vessels attempting to access Iranian oil terminals.

Retaliatory strikes

In response to the strikes launched from Kuwait and other Gulf-based facilities, Tehran launched a series of retaliatory drone and missile attacks targeting US military logistics and deployment centres across the region. Air defence systems were activated in Kuwait and Bahrain to intercept the incoming fire.

Additionally, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Friday that it had launched an attack on a US special operations command centre at al-Tanf in Syria. According to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the elite force stated that the operation was carried out in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr, a city in southeastern Iran.

Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the Iranian claims. There was no immediate comment from either the US military or the Syrian government regarding the alleged strike at al-Tanf.

In a further escalation of rhetoric, the Revolutionary Guards asserted that Iran retains full control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global choke point for oil transit. The group warned that no oil or gas exports would be permitted through the strategic waterway for as long as US attacks against Iranian targets continue.