8 Iranian Soldiers Killed In Overnight US Strikes In Southern Iran

Iranian state media said eight Iranian Army personnel were killed in overnight US strikes on Bandar Abbas and Bushehr in southern Iran.

Iranian state media reported that eight members of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army were killed in overnight US strikes targeting southern Iran.

According to Fars News, the Army’s Public Relations Office said eight members of the Army’s Air and Naval Forces were “martyred” while defending the country after US attacks at dawn on areas in the south. The statement said the soldiers were killed in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.

The latest casualties come as renewed fighting has erupted in the Gulf region, marking the worst exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since the two countries signed an interim agreement in June.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday it launched “powerful” strikes in response to attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the US military, the operation targeted more than 80 sites, including air defence systems, coastal radar installations and fast boats.

On Wednesday, Iran said it had retaliated by targeting US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed missiles and drones were launched at “85 key US military facilities,” including a US Navy headquarters and an air base in Kuwait.

The US also announced it had revoked its temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales. Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of violating the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), citing the renewed sanctions, attacks in southern Iran and what he described as violations related to Iranian adjustments in the Strait.

Iranian state media reported that the US strikes also hit Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas and Sirik, with civilians reportedly injured by shrapnel. Separately, IRNA identified Guardsman Mohammadreza Khazini as the first reported casualty of the retaliatory strikes, saying he was killed while confronting enemy drones after being struck by shrapnel from a projectile.