The United States conducted new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, escalating tensions following President Donald Trump’s declaration that an interim ceasefire is “over.” Tehran responded by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, as regional leaders weigh the impact of potential strikes on critical civilian infrastructure and energy supply lines.
Escalation in the Persian Gulf
The military engagement between the United States and Iran intensified on Thursday, following a series of retaliatory strikes. The U.S. military launched operations against Iranian military sites and port facilities, which officials described as an effort to further degrade
Iran’s capacity to threaten maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway remains a vital artery for global energy, with a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas transiting the route before the onset of conflict on February 28.
Tehran’s response involved cross-border fire directed at Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. The Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, while Kuwaiti military officials reported the active interception of incoming drones and missiles. While there were no immediate reports of structural damage in the Gulf Arab states, the strikes mark a significant expansion of the conflict’s geography.
Trump’s Threats Against Civilian Infrastructure
President Donald Trump signaled a shift in strategy on Sunday, using his social media platform to issue a series of threats targeting Iran’s power and transportation networks. In a post, he warned of a Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day
in Iran, stating that if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed, the country would be living in Hell.
For more on this story, see U.S. Strikes Iranian Military Sites for 10th Straight Night Amid Conflict.
Sarah Yager, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, warned that striking power plants would be devastating to the Iranian people,
noting that such actions would disable electricity for hospitals and water supplies. Tom Dannenbaum, a professor at Stanford Law School, highlighted that the rhetoric suggests targeting based on societal support rather than military necessity, which he described as a condition for lawful engagement in war.
“The US military has protocols to constrain such harm, but when the president speaks this way, it risks signaling that those constraints are optional, making this moment especially dangerous.”
Sarah Yager, Washington director of Human Rights Watch
More than 100 U.S. experts in international law have voiced concerns that the conduct of U.S. forces and the rhetoric from senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—who previously stated the U.S. would not fight with stupid rules of engagement
—could constitute war crimes.
This follows our earlier report, Iran Strikes Gulf Energy Infrastructure as Regional Conflict With US Intensifies.
Status of the Ceasefire and Regional Stability
The fragile interim agreement intended to pause hostilities has effectively collapsed. During a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump told reporters that the deal was over,
though he indicated he would allow U.S. representatives to continue negotiations despite his belief that they were wasting their time.
Iranian officials have remained defiant. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf stated on X that the U.S. has not learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi characterized the American position as an admission of the failure
of U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic.
The market impact was immediate, with global oil prices rising following the President’s comments. The uncertainty surrounding the conflict has created a volatile environment for energy markets, as both sides appear to be using the waterway as a primary lever in their ongoing confrontation.
Read also: US Launches Fresh Strikes on Iran Amid Escalating Tensions.
Impacts on Iranian Cities and Infrastructure
Reports from Iranian state media indicate that recent U.S. operations have hit multiple locations across the country. Explosions were reported in Bushehr, the site of a nuclear power plant complex, and in the port cities of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik. In Iranshahr, authorities confirmed that an airstrike resulted in the death of a firefighter at an airport.
The conflict has also extended to infrastructure, with strikes reported on a railway bridge in Golestan province. The Revolutionary Guard claimed that two bridges were targeted on the route to Mashhad, where the burial of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Worth a look
