The US military launched a series of strikes on Tuesday targeting strategic areas in Iran, including the coastal city of Bushehr, home to the country’s only nuclear power plant, as well as oil sites in Khuzestan province and areas near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian authorities, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
“Four points in the city of Bushehr were hit by enemy projectiles at noon (0830 GMT)”, deputy provincial governor Ehsan Jahanian was quoted by official news agency IRNA as saying, blaming the attacks on the United States.
In the southwest of the country, local authorities reported that the US military bombed an oil region in Khuzestan province near the Iraqi border. The strikes targeted the city of Abadan, home to the oldest oil refinery in the Middle East, as well as the coastal city of Mahshahr, a center for petrochemical industries. IRNA quoted Khuzestan Deputy Governor Valiollah Hayati as saying that the bombing targeted sites in the region, without disclosing the extent of the damage or casualties.
Similarly, Iranian state television announced five explosions near the Strait of Hormuz, in the vicinity of the coastal city of Bandar Abbas, an area that has been targeted by US strikes in recent days. The television station said the explosions occurred west of the city, without providing further details.
These developments come amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime energy shipping routes, after US President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The new strikes and escalating tensions pushed oil prices higher, with Brent crude rising 5.1% to $87.51 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 3.9% to $81.21 a barrel. (AFP)
