The United States has carried out large-scale airstrikes against Iran for the third consecutive day.

Notably, the U.S. has intensified pressure by striking near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's only commercial nuclear facility.

As Iran has also targeted U.S. military bases in Jordan, following strikes on neighboring Gulf Arab states, the specter of war in the Middle East has grown increasingly ominous.

The military conflict between the two nations has once again severely disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and caused international oil prices to surge.

Peace negotiations aimed at ending the conflict are also on the verge of collapse.

U.S. Central Command released footage of the bombings on X (formerly Twitter) on July 8 (local time), stating, "We have struck approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage facilities, naval assets, and military logistics infrastructure along the Iranian coastline."

The airstrikes were concentrated on major southern port cities, including Bushehr, where the Iranian nuclear power complex is located.

On July 9, U.S. projectiles landed near the Bushehr nuclear plant.

The Deputy Governor of Bushehr Province for Political, Security, and Social Affairs stated, "With U.S. attacks continuing, this strike is a violation of the ceasefire agreement," adding, "This afternoon, several locations within Bushehr Province, including the area surrounding the Bushehr nuclear plant, were hit by U.S. projectiles."

It has not been confirmed whether the nuclear plant itself was struck or sustained damage.

In addition, a railway bridge in Golestan Province in northeastern Iran and a bridge on the route to Mashhad, where Iranian authorities were preparing for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, were also reportedly hit by the U.S. military.

Iranian state TV reported that this has resulted in a complete suspension of operations on the key railway line connecting the Iranian capital, Tehran, to Mashhad.

With the main rail line completely halted while Iranian authorities were preparing for a massive procession to transport large crowds of mourners, concerns have been raised regarding potential disruptions to funeral schedules and logistics.

Local media reported that the railway authority has dispatched emergency repair teams to the site to fix the destroyed tracks and bridges, while urgently arranging alternative transportation, such as buses, to carry thousands of passengers and mourners stranded at train stations.

The Arak-Teke Khan railway, which was targeted by U.S. airstrikes, is a key trade corridor connecting Iran to its strategic partners, China and Russia.

This route, which passes through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, has served as a vital land transport link to China.

Its strategic importance has grown significantly, especially after the U.S. blockaded major Iranian ports earlier this year.

Furthermore, it is reported that Russia has also been actively utilizing this route to transport cargo to Iran since late 2025.

The U.S. military explained that this strike was a measure to neutralize Iran's military capabilities that threaten the freedom of navigation for merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

This operation marks the second day of strikes, following an attack the previous day on approximately 80 Iranian military targets, including about 60 small vessels belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The Iranian Ministry of Health officially announced that at least 14 people were killed and 78 injured across Iran due to the two consecutive days of U.S. airstrikes.

Previously, the U.S. attacked several southern strongholds on July 7 after Iran attacked merchant ships, claiming they had deviated from designated routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Diplomatic experts analyze that this provocation by Iran may reflect a serious internal rift within the Iranian leadership.

This is because, unlike pragmatists who seek to lift international sanctions and receive economic relief through peace negotiations with the U.S., hardliners centered around the IRGC are attempting to use full control over the Strait of Hormuz as a powerful leverage against the U.S.

Following the U.S. military's additional operations that day, Iran also launched retaliatory airstrikes targeting U.S. military bases in the Middle East.

In an official statement that day, the Iranian military disclosed the specific targets of its large-scale retaliatory drone attacks aimed at U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf region.

The Iranian military claimed that its drones precisely targeted the U.S. Patriot missile defense system deployed in Kuwait, a U.S. military satellite antenna base in Qatar, and a U.S. Army fuel depot in Bahrain, which houses the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.

Air raid sirens sounded at least twice across Bahrain.

Kuwaiti military authorities stated that they activated their air defense network to intercept incoming drones and missiles.

Iran then expanded its retaliatory radius by firing missiles at Jordan on July 9.

According to Jordan's state-run Petra news agency, air raid sirens sounded across Jordan as missiles launched from Iran entered Jordanian airspace that day.

Mohammad Momani, Jordan's Minister of Government Communication and government spokesperson, stated, "As missiles launched from Iran violated Jordanian airspace, the Public Security Directorate issued an air raid warning, and we immediately responded to the threat by intercepting the missiles."

The agency reported that a total of eight missiles were intercepted that day, with no casualties or property damage reported.

Jordanian state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka and others reported that the target of the Iranian attack appeared to be a U.S. military base within Jordan.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned in a statement that it had targeted the Al-Azraq Air Base in Jordan with 10 ballistic missiles, adding, "If the U.S. repeats its aggression, no U.S. base in the region will be safe from our powerful firepower."

The current exchange between the U.S. and Iran is drawing particular attention as it occurs while peace negotiations are barely hanging on.

In particular, this U.S. attack took place abruptly after U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he considers the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ending the war, which he had personally signed, to be "over."

After concluding the NATO summit held in Turkey, President Trump shared footage of explosions in Iran on Truth Social and issued a strong warning, saying, "This is retribution for Iran bombing ships yesterday. If this happens again, the situation will be much worse."

President Trump mentioned that while this would not lead to long-term military action, "the U.S. military could finish it off entirely if necessary," and even alluded to the possibility of striking civilian infrastructure such as power plants and seawater desalination facilities, as well as Kharg Island, Iran's oil export terminal.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and a key figure in the peace negotiations, reacted angrily, stating, "The U.S. has still not learned that the era of threats and broken promises without consequences is over," and warned, "If you strike (us), you will be struck in the same way."

Initially, negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were expected to resume after the conclusion of Khamenei's funeral on July 9 to address difficult issues such as opening the Strait of Hormuz and dismantling Iran's nuclear program, but there is talk that they may be completely suspended due to this conflict.

Due to the military clash between the two countries, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has effectively come to a near standstill.

According to vessel tracking data, ship movement in the Strait of Hormuz is currently only partially observed in the northern route approved by Iran, while the Omani side, supported by the U.S., is almost entirely halted.

This military conflict has caused international oil prices to fluctuate once again.

As geopolitical risks have heightened, Brent crude futures prices surpassed 79 U.S. dollars per barrel before adjusting slightly.

(Photo: Provided by U.S. Central Command, Yonhap News)