U.S. strikes Iranian bridges as Tehran retaliates against Gulf allies hosting American bases

Iranian state media reported at least seven people were killed and 20 wounded in the latest U.S. strikes on infrastructure. According to Iranian health officials, 38 people have been killed and over 400 wounded in the past week. The renewed conflict has cut off energy supplies from the Gulf, and oil prices jumped 10 percent this week due to the escalation.

Iran's retaliation across the Gulf

Iran retaliated Friday by launching missiles and drones against U.S. allies in the Gulf that host U.S. military bases. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it targeted Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Authorities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar said Friday their air defense systems were intercepting hostile attacks. Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait on Friday. Jordan's state media reported that Jordan staved off Iranian missiles.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard also said it attacked U.S. special forces in al-Tafn in Syria, claiming casualties and damage. Al-Tafn was described as a former U.S. military outpost from which U.S. troops withdrew in February. There was no immediate response by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to Iran's claim of attacking U.S. forces at al-Tafn.

Strait of Hormuz blockade and shipping pressure

Iranian strikes were reported in Iraq's Kurdistan region, killing at least eight opposition fighters, according to a Kurdish Iranian opposition group. Iran's leaders sought to impose a toll on cargo and oil vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, attacking ships that did not comply. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported late on Friday that the Revolutionary Guards navy had 'targeted' a Thai-flagged ship trying to get through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has shut off the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. and Israel began the war on Iran on Feb. 28. The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point for oil shipments in the Middle East. The U.S. reinstated a military blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports earlier this week. Since reimposing the blockade, the U.S. military said it has redirected three vessels that tried to breach it, struck and disabled an oil tanker that disobeyed orders, and boarded one to ensure compliance. U.S. Marines boarded a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. has urged ships to use a southern route through the Strait of Hormuz that hugs the coast of Oman. Iran said the southern route urged by the U.S. violates a memorandum of understanding signed last month between Iran and the United States. The U.S. military said it struck Iranian air defense sites and military logistics infrastructure to pressure Iran to lift its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Diplomatic track and legal warnings

President Trump threatened to strike Iranian bridges this week if Iran failed to return to talks to end the war. Trump has declined to rule out a ground assault on Iran's coast or islands. U.S. officials have said attacks on southern Iran are designed in part to give Trump options. Qatar is described as a key mediator in talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the war.

Iran vowed to retaliate by targeting the infrastructure of U.S. allies in the region. Legal scholars have warned that attacks on infrastructure with wide civilian use could, in some circumstances, constitute a war crime under international law. Armed men seized another vessel off Yemen, raising concern over security at the mouth of the Red Sea. The mouth of the Red Sea is another major choke point for oil shipments in the Middle East.

Washington and Tehran have been testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire agreement collapsed last week. The U.S. and Iran expanded their targets in the latest round of strikes on Friday, amid fighting over control of the Strait of Hormuz. NPR's Jane Arraf contributed reporting from Amman.