U.S. Military Strikes Spark Explosions Across Southern Iran

U.S. Central Command, under President Donald Trump, carried out overnight air, naval and drone strikes on Iranian sites in the Hormozgan and Khuzestan provinces, aiming to diminish Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation marked the first U.S. use of one‑way attack sea drones and targeted air‑defence systems, coastal radars, missile facilities and small vessels.

Explosions were reported in several southern cities, including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm Island, Jask, Hengam, Bandar Khamir and across Khuzestan (Ahvaz, Mahshahr, Behbahan, Dezful, among others). Hormozgan officials said no civilian casualties were confirmed, while Khuzestan’s deputy governor reported one security guard killed and four injured at an agricultural water‑pumping station in Mahshahr.

Iran claimed to have downed a “Lucas‑type” U.S. drone and said it retaliated by striking U.S. sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman. Tehran also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a roughly 3 % rise in Brent crude prices. The United States countered that Iran does not control the strait and reaffirmed its commitment to free navigation.