Explosions in Iran as US launches new strikes - Al Jazeera

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that United States Central Command said it completed an 11th straight night of air attacks on Iran, describing the operation as precision strikes intended to reduce Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said the targets included Iranian military operations centers, maritime assets, aircraft hangars, drone storage sites and logistics infrastructure. Explosions were reported in several areas, including around Tehran, Tabriz in the northwest, Bushehr and Sirik in southern Iran, and parts of Khuzestan province.

According to Al Jazeera correspondents and Iranian state-linked agencies cited in the report, air defenses were activated in eastern Tehran, though officials said there had been no confirmed strike on the capital at that point. Fars reported a US attack on a military site near Tabriz at about 2:40am local time Wednesday, while local officials said the city itself was not hit. Al Jazeera noted that reported attacks near Tabriz and Tehran would broaden a campaign that had mostly centered on southern Iran and areas linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s military said it responded with drone and missile attacks on US-linked military sites in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. Jordan said it intercepted Iranian missiles, and Bahrain and Kuwait also reported air-defense activity. The article says the US military has now confirmed 18 service member deaths since the war began, including a third service member believed killed in a recent attack in Jordan.

The escalation comes as US officials defend the campaign as necessary to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. Al Jazeera reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress the war had cost $37.5bn and that the Pentagon sought $90bn more, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington remained open to diplomacy if Iran showed seriousness about talks.