US airstrikes appear to have collapsed a tower at Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, a key trade route for Afghanistan, according to images shared by defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth shared the image of the surveillance tower appearing to collapse, which had circulated on social media via activists prior to Hegseth sharing it.
Chabahar port has been a repeated target of American airstrikes. Iranian state media acknowledged a third round of strikes on the facility without immediately acknowledging the tower’s collapse.
Iran described the tower as overseeing commercial traffic into the port. However, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard also operates at ports across the country.
Armed assailants have boarded a chemical tanker off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Friday and are in control of the vessel.
Maritime security sources told Reuters that the Asana, a small tanker, was seized in the Gulf of Aden on its way to the Somali port of Bosaso.
The ship, which had no confirmed flag, was boarded by unauthorised personnel while transiting 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla port, the UKMTO said.
US forces hit a bridge and a train station with missiles in a sixth night of airstrikes on Iran on Friday.
Iran warns Gulf oil exports could be disrupted
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that oil and gas exports from the Gulf could be disrupted if US military operations continue.
State television quoted the Guards as saying that until US “aggression” comes to an end, it would not be possible to export chemical fertilisers or even a “single drop of oil and gas” from the region.
Washington earlier this week said it was enforcing a naval blockade around Iran, and Tehran announced fresh operations targeting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.
Kuwait says Iranian attack hit power and desalination station
Kuwaiti authorities said an Iranian attack struck one of the country’s power generation and water desalination stations on Saturday, causing damage, a fire and disrupting a number of electricity generation units.
Kuwait’s armed forces said in a separate post on X that its air defence systems were responding to Iranian drone attacks.
Earlier, Bahrain activated air raid sirens and Saudi Arabia issued temporary public warnings as Iran renewed attacks on Gulf states hosting US military bases following another night of American strikes.
Kuwait intercepts drones as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia issue alerts
Several Gulf states issued public alerts early on Saturday as the conflict between the US and Iran continued to spill across the region, with Kuwait intercepting hostile drones and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia warning residents of potential threats.
The Kuwait Armed Forces said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that its air defence systems were responding to “hostile drone threats”, adding that any explosions heard were the result of interceptors engaging incoming targets.
In separate posts on X, Bahrain’s interior ministry said air raid sirens had been activated and urged residents to seek shelter, while Saudi authorities briefly issued warnings for the Yanbu and Al-Kharj governorates before announcing that the danger had passed.
No casualties or material damage were immediately reported.
US airstrikes on Iran appear to have damaged Gulf of Oman port facility
Jordan intercepts 10 Iranian missiles
Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted 10 missiles launched from Iran overnight, according to the Jordan News Agency.
The military said there were no casualties or material damage, adding that the interceptions were carried out to protect the kingdom’s airspace and sovereignty.
Iran continued retaliatory attacks against US allies following a seventh consecutive night of American strikes on targets inside Iran.
Jordan has repeatedly intercepted Iranian missiles and drones since the conflict escalated, saying it will respond to any projectile that enters its airspace regardless of its intended target.
Iran says missiles hit power and water facilities in Jask
Iranian media says several missiles struck power facilities and desalination water pumps in the southeastern port city of Jask, as the conflict continued to spread across critical infrastructure in the region.
The reports, citing a local official, did not immediately provide details on casualties or the extent of the damage. Jask lies on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, making it strategically important for Iran’s energy and maritime operations.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s armed forces said they intercepted 10 missiles launched from Iran, according to the Jordan News Agency.
The strikes came after the US military announced it had completed a seventh consecutive night of attacks on Iran, saying it had targeted surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage facilities and maritime capabilities.
Iran has since launched retaliatory missile attacks on several US allies in the Gulf, including Jordan.
7 reported dead as US completes latest strikes on Iran
The US military says it has completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, marking the seventh consecutive night of attacks ordered by president Donald Trump.
Iranian state media reported that at least seven people were killed after US strikes hit bridges in the southern port city of Bandar Khamir.
At least five bridges were reportedly struck, while the city’s train station was also hit. An airport in Iranshahr, in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province, was also reportedly targeted.
In a statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces used fighter aircraft, drones, warships and other military assets to strike surveillance sites, military logistics infrastructure, underground weapons storage facilities and maritime capabilities.
Pakistan negotiating expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation, sources tell Reuters
Pakistan has been negotiating an expanded defence pact with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment, according to five sources with knowledge of the talks.
The talks remain at an early stage, all the sources said, and could still be complicated by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, said one source.
Reuters reported on Thursday that there were mounting concerns in Islamabad that its mutual defence pact with Saudi Arabia, signed last year, could draw Pakistan into the US-Iran war. After the Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched an attack on Saudi Arabia on Monday, nuclear-armed Pakistan told Iran it would treat attacks on the kingdom as attacks on itself.
Any defence deal with Kuwait, which has come under heavy attacks from Iran this year, would also raise questions about Pakistan’s role in future mediation between the US and Iran.
What remains of the Iran deal as fighting rages
The conflict between Iran and the United States has intensified in recent days and an interim deal to end the fighting has collapsed less than a month after it was signed.
The Memorandum of Understanding was supposed to halt all military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global oil and gas. It also set the stage for further negotiations intended to lead to a permanent peace deal and an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program within 60 days.
Here’s a look at some of the main clauses of the agreement and the situation on the ground.
Beloved Law and Order star shreds Trump over ‘deranged’ post about Iran war
The actor, 65, issued his takedown after Trump shared a Truth Social post Tuesday claiming that “oil is flowing like never before” as the U.S. and Iran fight over the Strait of Hormuz following a failed peace deal.
“ChatGTP, write me the most panicked deranged, fantastical tweet you can,” Meloni wrote Wednesday on X, referring to the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.
Source: independent.co.uk