K-Points

Amid a deepening global economic crisis, the U.S. escalates its conflict with Iran by striking civilian infrastructure


In a new wave of strikes, U.S. forces hit bridges in Iran's southern Hormozgan province overnight into Friday, killing at least seven people, according to Iranian state television.

The attacks targeted Bandar Khamir, a city on Iran’s coast along the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes on highway and railway bridges appeared designed to cut off Bandar Abbas Iran's main port, from roads leading into the central region of the Islamic Republic and onward to the capital, Tehran.

For the first time during the U.S. airstrike campaign, Iran also acknowledged "attacks on power infrastructure" on Friday. The Energy Ministry issued a call for people in southern provinces to reduce electricity usage, stating that those areas "are currently experiencing extreme heat and attacks on power infrastructure." The ministry did not specify whether power plants, transmission lines, or other equipment had been targeted.

In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that forces had fired multiple ballistic missiles and numerous drones at U.S. fighter jets and refueling aircraft stationed in Jordan.

“In response to this act of aggression, the fighters of Islam … targeted U.S. fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft stationed in Jordan in a two-phase attack using multiple ballistic missiles and numerous drones, resulting in the destruction of several U.S. aerial refueling aircraft and fighter jets and causing serious damage to many more,” the IRGC stated.

The attack on the U.S.-run base in Jordan came as reports indicated that ten aerial refueling aircraft arrived at the base from Europe on Friday morning. Observers suggested that refueling aircraft stationed there had been hit during the overnight Iranian strikes.

The IRGC also claimed its forces carried out a heavy and surprise attack on the U.S. Air Base at Al Udeid in Qatar, during which one long-range radar system and several U.S. strategic aerial refueling aircraft were completely destroyed, while several others sustained serious damage.

“The American enemy and the hosts of its bases in the region should know that crossing the red lines and attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure will carry a very harsh and devastating price,” the IRGC warned. “Should the enemy continue this course, even more crushing responses are on the way—responses that will be remembered in the history of warfare.”

Additionally, the IRGC said it destroyed a HIMARS launcher and its missiles in Kuwait.Iran struck eastern Syria on Friday, Iranian state media and a Syrian military source said, in the first known attack by Tehran on Syrian territory since a regional war erupted earlier this year.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had attacked a US special operations command centre at al-Tanf in Syria in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr, state media reported.


Iran struck eastern Syria on Friday, Iranian state media and a Syrian military source said, in the first known attack by Tehran on Syrian territory since a regional war erupted earlier this year.

As the U.S.-Iran conflict continues, the Strait of Hormuz—essential to the global economy—remains closed by Iran. Analysts forecast that the consequences of the closure would be catastrophic. Energy prices are expected to rise further, with oil potentially surging past $120 per barrel. LNG prices, particularly in Asia and Europe, could return to levels not seen since 2022. For countries heavily reliant on imported natural gas, the result would be renewed inflation, worsening energy insecurity, and even the possibility of fuel rationing as winter approaches.

Shipping and insurance markets would be thrown into disarray. Tanker traffic through the Persian Gulf would grind to a halt. Maritime insurers might suspend coverage for vessels transiting the Strait or demand prohibitively high war-risk premiums. Some shipping companies would avoid the region entirely, forcing longer routes and tightening global shipping capacity—raising costs not only for energy but also for commodities and consumer goods worldwide.

Broader economic consequences would follow. As energy prices rise, so do input costs for key sectors such as transportation, chemicals, and heavy manufacturing. Inflation would reaccelerate globally, putting renewed pressure on central banks and undermining recent progress in stabilizing prices. Some emerging economies, lacking the finances to subsidize rising energy costs, would be hit hardest, but developed economies would also feel the squeeze.