US Strikes in Iran Reach Seventh Day

The United States military has launched strikes in Iran for seven consecutive days. U.S. officials have described these actions as a strategy to weaken Tehran’s military capacities. The operations commenced at 3 p.m. EDT, according to U.S. Central Command, as the military broadened its targets across Iran.

On Thursday, the U.S. military struck the southern coast of Iran, targeting bridges around Bandar Abbas, a crucial port city. By early Friday, the strikes included bridges and energy infrastructures in Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) retaliated by attacking U.S. bases in the Gulf, including those in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. They also claimed to have targeted a U.S. special operations command center in Syria, a claim disputed by U.S. Central Command.

Iran’s response extended to its Gulf allies, launching drones and missiles at Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The U.S. Navy has persisted with enforcing a naval blockade that was reactivated on Tuesday, with U.S. Marines intercepting the sanctioned oil tanker M/T Wen Yao on Thursday.

President Trump affirmed on Thursday night that the U.S. is achieving success in Iran and pledged that Americans would soon witness the outcomes. For more details, refer to the full report at thehill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter. I’m Ellen Mitchell, covering key updates from the Pentagon and beyond.

Key Developments

• A federal appeals panel affirmed a Pentagon policy requiring journalist escorts in its buildings, reversing a previous court’s decision. Officials argue there is no illegal retaliation involved.
• The U.S. continued strikes on Iranian infrastructure early Friday. The IRGC attacked U.S. bases in response, although a claim regarding an attack in Syria was rejected by U.S. officials.
• Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated no action would be taken against the low-altitude Blue Angels flyover that disrupted an event in Florida.

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