US Strikes 170 Targets in Iran Over Two Days; 14 Killed

Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated sharply following a series of military exchanges over the past 48 hours. Tehran officials stated that U.S. airstrikes targeting five Iranian provinces have killed at least 14 people and injured 78 others. Concurrently, Iran claimed to have launched drone strikes against U.S. military installations in the Gulf region.

The escalation comes amid domestic preparations in Iran for the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, further intensifying the volatile security situation across the Middle East. Additionally, Iranian authorities temporarily suspended passenger train services on the Tehran-Mashhad railway line after a section of the tracks was damaged by U.S. bombardment.

According to a report by the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, Iran’s Ministry of Health confirmed the U.S. strikes spanned five provinces. Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for the health ministry, noted that of the 78 injured, 47 remain hospitalized. Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, independently reported at least three fatalities and several injuries in specific sectors.

Waliollah Hayati, the deputy governor for security and law enforcement in Khuzestan province, told IRNA, ‘Early this morning, the Israeli-US regime targeted an installation on the outskirts of the city of Ahvaz.’ He added that rescue and medical operations were actively underway, while other injured individuals had been discharged after receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military confirmed it had executed a fresh round of strikes against Iranian targets. The Pentagon stated the operations aimed to degrade Iran's capabilities to disrupt commercial shipping and threaten innocent civilian mariners in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, ‘U.S. forces struck approximately 90 military targets in Iran. These included air defense systems, coastal surveillance infrastructure, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities, and military logistics infrastructure along the Iranian coast.’ CENTCOM added that these latest actions followed successful offensive operations conducted in Iran the previous night.

A day earlier, U.S. forces reported striking more than 80 targets inside Iran, bringing the two-day total to approximately 170 installations.

In response, the Iranian military announced it had launched drone attacks targeting ‘U.S. bases and strategic centers’ in the Gulf region. Tehran claimed its strikes targeted a Patriot missile defense system in Kuwait, an early-warning satellite antenna facility in Qatar, and a U.S. military fuel storage tank in Bahrain. The Iranian military stated it deployed ‘a large number of diverse drones’ for the operation.

‘The Iranian Armed Forces will under no circumstances allow the objectives of the foolish U.S. President to be realized, and will remain steadfast in defending the ideals of the Islamic Revolution until ultimate victory is achieved,’ Iran's military apparatus said in a statement.

Following the damage to the Tehran-Mashhad railway, the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways announced that technical and operational teams had been dispatched to the site to conduct emergency repairs. The agency stated it aims to restore rail services ‘as quickly as possible’ and is currently arranging alternative road transport to ferry stranded passengers to Mashhad.