Seventh night of US strikes against Iranian positions

Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan came under fresh Iranian attacks on Friday, in retaliation for American airstrikes carried out on Iranian soil. For the sixth consecutive day, Washington's Gulf allies are directly bearing the cost of this military escalation. The damage inflicted on civilian infrastructure on both sides points to a further intensification of the conflict.

Late Friday evening, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the US military had launched, for the seventh consecutive night, a new wave of strikes against Iranian military positions and infrastructure. Iran's official state media reported powerful explosions shortly before midnight in several areas of southern Iran, including Bandar Abbas. Communication routes have been a particular focus of US military strikes over the past 48 hours.

Meanwhile, Tehran continues to ratchet up its rhetoric. Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, threatened on Friday that Iran would enter "a phase of all-out offensive" if American strikes continue beyond "two or three days." He also declared that "Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliating, and no border will be safe."

Power grid restrictions

Iranian authorities reported damage to the electricity grid in the south of the country. They also noted bombings targeting bridges, a port, an airport, telecommunications infrastructure, and a train station.

In a statement, the relevant ministry urged residents to turn off their air conditioners during peak hours "in order to help ensure a stable electricity supply in the southern provinces, which are currently facing extreme heat and attacks on power facilities."

In Kuwait, a power plant and a water desalination facility were struck in an Iranian attack, according to the emirate's authorities, who also called on residents "to reduce their electricity consumption during this exceptional period," as temperatures reach 48°C.

Iranian strikes on all fronts

The armed forces of Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and Qatar — all close US allies — announced they had faced aerial attacks at dawn on Friday.

In Kuwait, the military reported several injuries. In Qatar, which is serving as a mediator in the conflict, a child was wounded by debris. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have targeted the American Al-Udeid Air Base, stating they had destroyed radar systems and military aircraft in order to "punish the aggressor."

US President Donald Trump had threatened earlier this week to strike Iran's bridges and power plants if its leaders refused to return to the negotiating table.

The Revolutionary Guards, the Islamic Republic's ideological army, warned that strikes "will continue until calm is restored on the southern coast and in the Strait of Hormuz."

Trump 'open to talks'

Donald Trump "remains open to diplomacy at the same time," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said.

According to her, the Iranians "have signaled to the president that they still want to reach a deal. We are talking to them, but, again, the president is not going to let them fire on ships in the strait without consequences."

In the Strait of Hormuz — through which nearly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports flowed before the war — maritime traffic continues to dwindle.

Iraq-Syria oil pipeline

In Washington, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's visit has yielded its first results. The United States welcomed on Friday an agreement between Iraq and Syria to restore the oil pipeline linking the two countries, which has been closed for decades, ultimately facilitating oil transport amid renewed hostilities between Iran and Washington.

The pipeline is intended to connect Iraqi oil production to Mediterranean export markets and beyond. A genuine windfall, as crude oil prices surged following the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The price of oil continues to rise, but remains at around $87 per barrel — still well below the peak of $126 reached at the height of the conflict.

The United States announced that it is leading an international consortium to handle the technical and financial aspects of the project, which, once restored, will have "an initial transport capacity of 2 million barrels of crude oil per day."

Speaking last week in Damascus, on the sidelines of a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said he believed Syria could become an "important transit country for oil flowing from Iraq to the Mediterranean," offering "alternative routes" to the Strait of Hormuz.

In Southern Lebanon

Regarding the Lebanese front, a Lebanese diplomatic source cited by the Arabic-language channelAl-Hadath,indicated on Friday that the Israeli army is expected to begin its withdrawal this weekend from the pilot zones set to be handed over to the Lebanese army, in accordance with the framework agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel on June 26.

On the military operations front, Israeli forces present in the South continued destroying the underground military infrastructure built by Hezbollah over the course of decades. At the same time, targeted air strikes were carried out by the Israeli army across multiple sectors of the country's southern region.