US Expands Air Campaign Against Iran, Targets Key Port Infrastructure Amid Hormuz Standoff

DUBAI: The United States has intensified its military campaign against Iran by launching fresh airstrikes on critical infrastructure, including bridges, energy facilities and a tower at the strategic Chabahar port, as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate.

According to reports, the latest strikes are part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy to increase pressure on Tehran to ease its control over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital maritime routes for global oil shipments. The attacks reportedly damaged transportation links in southern Iran and affected infrastructure in the country’s Hormozgan province.

Iranian authorities reported casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure following the strikes, while state media confirmed that the Chabahar port area and surrounding facilities were among the targets. The escalation marks another significant expansion of Washington’s military operations against Iran after days of continued exchanges between the two sides.

The renewed hostilities come amid an increasingly volatile security situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. Shipping traffic through the strait has fallen sharply as commercial vessels avoid the area due to mounting security risks and military activity.

Despite the continued military escalation, diplomatic efforts have not been completely abandoned. Regional mediators, including Pakistan, Qatar and Egypt, are continuing backchannel contacts in an effort to reduce tensions and revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran, although no breakthrough has yet been announced.