US airstrikes hit Iran and a pediatric cancer hospital as conflict escalates

The United States launched two waves of airstrikes on Iran, targeting coastal defence systems, missile storage sites, command centres and the major port of Bandar Abbas after re‑imposing a naval blockade and closing the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, and claimed to have targeted a gathering of American personnel at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem air base.

One of the U.S. strikes hit Shahid Baghaei Hospital in Ahvaz, severely damaging the pediatric cancer ward and forcing the evacuation of children undergoing treatment. Iran reported a total death toll of 35 and more than 300 injuries, with additional explosions reported across the country.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has halted commercial traffic through a waterway that carries about 20 percent of global oil and gas shipments, driving Brent crude to a one‑month high. Iran warned the strait would remain shut until U.S. operations cease, while the United States said the campaign aims to degrade Iranian military capabilities that threaten shipping.