US hits Iran bridges as tanker seizures rattle Gulf shipping
Why it matters: Brent crude rose 3% and the collapsed ceasefire is pushing Washington and Tehran closer to wider war.
The United States struck bridges and other infrastructure in Iran on July 17, while Tehran and allied forces widened pressure on regional shipping and Gulf facilities, deepening a conflict that both sides had briefly paused. The US military said it carried out a seventh straight night of attacks, describing the targets as military logistics infrastructure. Iranian media reported blasts in Sirik, Ahvaz and Yazd, and state media said at least five bridges in the south were hit. At sea, US Marines boarded a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, while Tasnim reported the Revolutionary Guards navy targeted a Thai-flagged ship there. Off Yemen, armed men seized another vessel. Iran also hit a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, raising fears of broader disruption to oil flows.