Iran said eight members of its armed forces were killed after U.S. strikes targeted military sites in the southern cities of Bandar Abbas and Bushehr early on Wednesday, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington despite a fragile ceasefire, Reuters reported.
According to Iranian state media, those killed belonged to the country's air force and navy.
The strikes came after the U.S. military accused Iran of attacking commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.
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The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out precision strikes on more than 80 Iranian military targets, including air defence systems, anti-ship missile sites, drone launch facilities and coastal surveillance infrastructure.
The operation, it said, was launched in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.
Iran vowed a "crushing response", with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claiming it targeted dozens of U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Iranian media also reported drone attacks on U.S. positions in Bahrain, while explosions were heard in Sirik, Qeshm Island and areas near Bandar Abbas.
The IRGC further claimed it had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone over southern Iran.
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The latest exchange threatens to derail last month's U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that extended a ceasefire and paved the way for negotiations.
Tehran also accused Washington of violating the agreement after the U.S. reinstated oil-related sanctions less than three weeks after temporarily easing them.
The renewed hostilities have heightened concerns over the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global crude oil and LNG supplies, raising fears of fresh disruptions to energy markets.
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