US expands the scope of its strikes on Iran

Key Points:

• The United States has escalated its airstrikes against Iran over two weeks, expanding from targeting coastal defenses and naval assets near the Strait of Hormuz to hitting bridges, infrastructure, and military bases deeper inside Iran, including near Tehran.
• The intensified U.S. campaign aims to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies, following renewed Iranian strikes on ships and U.S. bases in the Gulf that have killed American soldiers.
• Recent U.S. attacks have damaged key infrastructure such as bridges, communications towers, water facilities, and transportation routes, disrupting daily life and logistics in southern Iran, while Iran has responded with continued attacks on Gulf shipping and U.S. interests.
• Despite the escalation, the current U.S. air campaign is less intense than the initial phase of the war in February, which involved widespread strikes and the killing of top Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• Iran has not backed down amid the strikes, continuing to target vessels and U.S. bases in the region; meanwhile, Israel has remained uninvolved in this latest round of conflict.