US intensifies attacks in Iran despite Iran releases US prisoner
Washington expands strike campaign while Tehran retaliates against US bases, raising fears of wider regional war even as release of an American citizen offers a slim diplomatic opening
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — The United States and Iran sharply escalated military attacks on Thursday, pushing the region closer to a broader conflict as Washington intensified its air campaign and Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes on US military installations across the Middle East.
The renewed fighting marks one of the most serious breakdowns of last month’s ceasefire arrangement, with the United States launching multiple waves of airstrikes against targets along Iran’s southern coast. Iranian state media reported fresh US attacks near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, strategic locations overlooking the Strait of Hormuz and home to major naval and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities.
Iran responded by targeting US military bases in neighboring countries, including a recently expanded American air base in Jordan, saying the installations were being used to support military operations against Iranian territory.
The escalation has further disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors, heightening concerns over global oil supplies and increasing tensions across the Gulf. Iranian officials have also signaled that Yemen’s Houthi movement could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if Washington carries out further attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure.
Despite the military escalation, Iran released an American citizen in what US officials described as a goodwill gesture, fueling cautious hopes that diplomatic channels remain open even as hostilities continue.
The latest US attacks have drawn widespread condemnation inside Iran, particularly after strikes near the Shahid Baghaei Specialized Hospital in Ahvaz forced the emergency evacuation of child cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Iranian authorities accused Washington of endangering civilians and violating international humanitarian law by carrying out military operations near a medical facility.
Residents across Iran expressed growing anxiety over the prospect of another prolonged war, with many urging diplomacy to prevent further bloodshed after months of conflict.
Iranian military officials insisted that repeated US strikes would not weaken Tehran’s ability to control the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that Iran retains the capability to defend the strategic waterway regardless of attacks on its coastal infrastructure.
President Donald Trump has continued threatening further military action, including possible strikes on Iranian power plants, bridges and other critical infrastructure unless Tehran returns to negotiations. Analysts warned that both countries are approaching a point where they will have to choose between renewed diplomacy or a far more destructive regional war.
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