U.S. expands missile strikes northward in Iran and disables tanker amid escalating retaliation

U.S. military aircraft conducted strikes in northern Iran early Thursday, hitting sites around Tehran and the Semnan province, which hosts Iran’s ballistic-missile and space programs. The attacks also targeted the provinces of Hamedan, Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Lorestan, Markazi and Sistan-Baluchistan, according to Iranian state media.

In a separate operation, a U.S. aircraft fired a missile at the Curacao-flagged oil tanker Belma as it approached Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil-export terminal, after the vessel allegedly ignored multiple warnings. The strike disabled the ship’s smokestack.

Iran responded with missile and drone launches aimed at U.S.-aligned positions in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. Local authorities reported no immediate casualties, while Kuwait noted a subsequent round of incoming fire later Thursday.

Iranian military spokesperson Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari warned that any U.S. action against Iranian infrastructure could trigger widespread attacks on regional facilities, describing such a scenario as an “invincible red line” for Iran.

The latest exchanges have heightened concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route. Brent crude prices rose above $85 a barrel, reflecting market reactions to the heightened risk.

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran remains open to a peace agreement but did not provide details, and he later announced on social media that Tehran had released an American citizen previously detained in the country.