▲ Video of airstrikes in Iran posted by President Trump on social media
Amid the ongoing dispute between the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, southern Iran has been subjected to widespread U.S. airstrikes.
Following attacks on major port cities and islands where military facilities are concentrated, the Iranian military is reportedly preparing a large-scale retaliatory strike targeting U.S. military bases across the Middle East.
According to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, a series of explosions were heard across various locations in southern Iran along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman on July 8 (local time).
Multiple powerful explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas, a port city in central southern Iran located in the heart of the Strait of Hormuz, and on the island of Sirik, situated near the eastern exit of the strait.
Bandar Abbas is home to the headquarters of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, which commands the high-speed boats, mine-laying vessels, and anti-ship missiles that control the Strait of Hormuz.
Sirik Island is reportedly a hub for the Revolutionary Guard's coastal missile bases.
During the U.S. airstrikes, explosions were also heard in the waters adjacent to the western coast of Sirik.
Reports also indicated that several loud explosions occurred in Chabahar, a port city on the coast of the Gulf of Oman in southeastern Iran.
Chabahar is a key strategic port for Iran and serves as an economic and military hub housing Revolutionary Guard bases.
Fars News Agency reported that it has not yet been determined whether these explosions were caused by U.S. airstrikes or resulted from the activation of Iran's air defense systems and mutual engagement.
According to Iran's state-run Nour News, power outages have been reported in parts of Chabahar.
Nour News also reported that several explosions were heard in Bushehr, in southwestern Iran, and that anti-aircraft batteries were engaging hostile targets.
Bushehr, located on the Persian Gulf, is a strategic location housing Iran's only nuclear power plant and a Revolutionary Guard naval base.
Iranian media reported that there have been no visible signs of damage to the Bushehr nuclear power plant at this time.
The Iranian military is reportedly planning further retaliation to hold the U.S. accountable for these airstrikes.
A military source told Nour News, "In addition to the engagement of the integrated air defense network against hostile targets, missile and drone units will launch a large-scale, comprehensive attack on terrorist U.S. bases in the Middle East within minutes."
An Iranian military official warned, "Every U.S. base that served as a staging ground for the aggression against our southern regions tonight, or that supported this aggression, will be subject to powerful missile and drone attacks by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran without exception."
The United States and Iran have been locked in a cycle of military conflict following tensions over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. military launched airstrikes on various strongholds in southern Iran yesterday, citing retaliation after Iran attacked a merchant vessel that had deviated from designated routes while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, leading the U.S. military to carry out a series of bombings in the southern region today as a further retaliatory measure.
(Photo: Capture from President Trump's Truth Social, Yonhap News)
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