International Desk — At least 38 people have been killed and more than 400 others injured following a wave of targeted US military airstrikes across multiple provinces in Iran.
The Iranian Ministry of Health confirmed the casualties, noting that the deceased include three women and a minor under the age of 18.
According to medical officials, 47 of the injured remain hospitalized under critical care.
While Washington maintains the operations strictly targeted Iranian military capabilities, Tehran has heavily condemned the strikes, alleging that the US military deliberately hit vital civilian and economic infrastructure.
Widespread Destruction Across Key Provinces
The strikes, which took place in multiple waves from late Thursday night into early Friday morning, wreaked havoc across the provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan, and Lorestan.
Iranian state media reported significant damage to public infrastructure, including bridges, electricity grids, and residential quarters.
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Sistan and Baluchestan: In the strategic port city of Chabahar, the maritime control tower of the Shahid Kalantari port was completely obliterated. While the terminal’s jetties and cargo handling equipment escaped destruction, port activities were suspended pending a comprehensive safety review.
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Hormozgan Province: Marked as one of the hardest-hit zones, provincial authorities confirmed seven deaths and nine injuries. The bombardment severely compromised road networks, destroying six bridges in Khamir County and halting transport between Bandar Abbas, Bandar Khamir, and Lar. Furthermore, a missile strike on a residential area in Bandar Abbas killed one civilian and left eight others wounded.
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Khuzestan and Lorestan: In the city of Ahvaz, strikes forced the temporary evacuation of the Shahid Baghaei Hospital—a specialized facility primarily treating cancer patients. Local authorities are still assessing the complete economic toll in the surrounding areas.
Conflicting Narratives: Strategic Assets vs. Civilian Terror
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) released a formal statement confirming that its forces successfully targeted and neutralized a critical surveillance tower at the Shahid Kalantari port in Chabahar.
CENTCOM Targeted Assets:
├── Coastal Surveillance Systems
├── Air Defense Bases
├── Logistics Infrastructure
└── Maritime Military Capabilities
According to US intelligence, the destroyed tower housed advanced maritime surveillance systems utilized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to track commercial vessels navigating the Gulf of Oman and the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Washington defended the multi-phase deployment, asserting it was a necessary defensive action designed to degrade Iran’s offensive military capabilities and neutralize growing threats to international shipping corridors.
Conversely, Iranian authorities have slammed the narrative, accusing the US of manufacturing military justifications while systematically attacking public utilities.
Technical and operational teams have been deployed to secure the affected areas, evaluate structural losses, and restore normalcy to severed rail networks and power grids.
Tehran Vows Retaliation Amid Escalation Risks
The strikes have pushed regional tensions to a boiling point, with Iran quickly announcing an aggressive military counter-response.
Following the incursions, Tehran claimed to have immediately launched retaliatory strikes against active United States military installations situated in neighboring Bahrain, Kuwait, Syria, and Oman.
As both global powers refuse to back down, the international community watches with mounting concern over the potential for an all-out regional war.