Media: US, Israeli strike targets military base near Iran’s Bushehr

A military base on the outskirts of the southern Iranian city of Bushehr was struck in a missile attack carried out by the United States and Israel, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

Ehsan Jahaniyan, the deputy governor of Bushehr Province, said the strike targeted a military installation near the city. He also confirmed reports of explosions in the area, adding that air defence systems had been activated in response.

“It was hit by a missile fired by the U.S. and Israel,” Jahaniyan said. 

Late in the evening, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported multiple explosions in southern Iran, including near the cities of Konarak, Choghadak, and Bushehr. The agency denied separate reports claiming explosions had occurred on Khark Island, a strategically important oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf.

The reported strike comes amid rapidly escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Over the past two days, the U.S. has conducted military strikes against Iranian targets, describing the operations as a response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran, in turn, has launched strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, according to Iranian officials. Both Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the terms of an existing agreement, although neither side has formally announced a suspension of diplomatic negotiations.

According to Axios, U.S. officials believe the trajectory of the conflict will depend largely on Iran’s next moves. The report said the administration expects that if Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continues attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the confrontation could expand into a prolonged military campaign lasting months.

By Sabina Mammadli