Explosions were heard in several parts of Iran on Tuesday following fresh U.S. strikes on the country, with the port city of Bushehr and the northwestern city of Tabriz being targeted, while air defense activity was also reported in the capital Tehran.
Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that U.S. airstrikes had struck Bushehr City, which sits on the Persian Gulf, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Iranian air defense systems were operating across eastern and western sectors of Tehran at around 03:00 local time to repel enemy attacks.
It came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had began striking military targets in Iran for an 11th consecutive night.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed the death of a U.S. soldier listed missing after an Iranian attack on a U.S. air base in Jordan on Friday, raising the U.S. military death toll to 18 since the U.S. and Israel war against Iran began in late February.
Recent Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan have resulted in dozens of American casualties, The New York Times reported, citing anonymous U.S. officials.
This information was not disclosed by CENTCOM in the beginning, indicating tensions between the Pentagon's operational security requirements and the government's obligation to keep the public informed on the progress of the conflict.
Nearly 100 U.S. service members have sustained varying degrees of injuries since the resumption of hostilities on July 7, U.S. Department of Defense Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed on Monday, adding that 96 percent of those injured have already returned to duty.
Several explosions heard in Iran amid fresh airstrikes as US confirms soldier death
Several explosions heard in Iran amid fresh airstrikes as US confirms soldier death
