US strikes bridges and rail lines in southern Iran, Iran retaliates against regional targets

The United States carried out air strikes on several bridges, railway links and the Radio and Communications Regulatory Authority office near Bandar Abbas in Iran's Hormozgan Province, a senior U.S. official told the Wall Street Journal. The targets were described as part of Iran's military logistics network that supports the IRGC Navy and the national rail and highway system.

Iranian state media reported the destruction of bridges and the closure of highways connecting Bandar Abbas to neighboring provinces. On July 16, U.S. forces also hit the communications regulator’s office, which oversees the country's radio-frequency spectrum.

In response, Iran struck infrastructure in Kuwait, damaging power generation units at a water-desalination plant, and claimed the attack was retaliation for recent U.S. strikes. Kuwait said the attack was carried out by “Iranian aggression” and noted that it had intercepted dozens of Iranian drones in the preceding days.

Iran also launched attacks on U.S. interests in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and Oman on July 16-17, including the destruction of a naval surveillance radar on the Salamah Archipelago and an air-surveillance radar near Ghanem Island, according to the IRGC Navy. The IRGC Aerospace Force commander warned that “effective and targeted” strikes would continue until the United States halted its operations in southern Iran.

On July 17, Iran hit a former U.S. base at al-Tanf in Syria, saying the strike was retaliation for a U.S. attack that killed Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr. The U.S. Central Command denied that any U.S. personnel were killed in the al-Tanf incident.

Iranian forces also targeted a Thai-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz after it allegedly ignored warnings and attempted to transit without Iranian authorization. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that an unidentified projectile struck a vessel near Oman’s coast, a route often used to avoid Iran-controlled waters.

The series of actions reflects ongoing tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional dynamics involving U.S. allies and Iranian-backed groups.