US launches seventh straight night of strikes on Iran

The US military says it is degrading Iran’s military but has been accused by Tehran of targeting civilian infrastructure.The United States Army has launched a seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran, as a military adviser to the Iranian supreme leader warns of a full-scale offensive if US attacks continue.In a post on X on Friday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes began at 19:00 GMT (10:30pm in Iran) and were “designed to continue degrading Iranian military capabilities at the Commander in Chief’s direction”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why is the US attacking southern Iran’s civilian infrastructure?list 2 of 3Satellite images show damage inside Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plantlist 3 of 3Can the US and Iran reach a lasting deal to end the conflict?end of listFive explosions were heard in the early hours of Saturday in Yazd, in central Iran, the state news agency IRNA reported. Iranian state television also said three explosions were heard in the southern city of Sirik, as another news agency, Mehr, said blasts were heard “in several provinces in the south”.As the war continues to escalate, fears are growing that the conflict could spiral out of control.Tehran accuses Washington of targeting civilian infrastructure and committing war crimes. Footage and images published by Iranian state media show heavily damaged bridges and railway lines in the country’s south.Iran has warned it would respond in kind by striking civilian infrastructure across the Gulf region, risking severe humanitarian consequences.Iran has been retaliating to the strikes by targeting what it says are US-linked assets in the region.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it struck a depot housing US unmanned aerial vehicles in Bahrain late on Friday. Washington has not confirmed the attack.Iran to start ‘offensive operations’ if US attacks continueEarlier on Friday, Major-General Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that Tehran will move beyond the military phase of deterrence and enter the phase of “offence and complete destruction” if US attacks do not cease.