US airstrikes in Iran lead to casualties and infrastructural damage
At least 8 people were killed and 20 others were injured in the strikes, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported early Friday, adding that at least six bridges were hit, including one that was still under construction, reports BritPanorama.
A railway junction station just west of Bandar Abbas was also struck, according to the state-owned IRIB news agency.
The highway and railway bridge strikes appeared aimed at cutting off Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port, from roads leading toward Tehran, the capital.
While other routes remain open, the U.S. strikes could expand further, potentially disrupting the movement of military materiel and goods needed for Iran’s 90 million people.
For the first time, Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S. airstrike campaign on Friday, with the energy ministry urging people in southern provinces to reduce electricity usage, as reported by ISNA.
The latest wave of U.S. strikes also damaged a maritime control tower in Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman, a significant port operated jointly with India, which is located outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a picture on X late Thursday showing the tower collapsing amid rising smoke.
Attacks on the tower—now the third incident in recent days—could impact port operations, according to Mehr news agency.
Former President Trump had threatened to target Iranian infrastructure as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated into daily exchanges of strikes and the reimposition of the U.S. naval blockade.
The situation remains fluid, with repercussions likely to be felt both domestically and in international shipping routes.
