US expands Iran airstrikes, hitting bridges as conflict widens

The United States widened its air campaign against Iran by striking more bridges and pushing attacks farther north inside the country, a sharp step beyond the nuclear and military sites hit earlier in the war. The expansion came as Washington reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and intensified strikes tied to Iran’s attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

By targeting bridges, the U.S. is moving against transportation infrastructure that can shape how quickly Iran moves forces, equipment and supplies. President Donald Trump had already warned that the campaign could expand to critical infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, signaling that Washington was prepared to broaden the pressure campaign beyond isolated military targets. That shift changes the scope of the conflict: it is no longer confined to striking discrete installations, but now reaches the arteries of daily movement and commerce inside Iran.

The escalation has unfolded around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, where Iranian officials drew a hard line. They called the waterway a “red line” and said Iran would resist until the end. The standoff has immediate implications for global energy flows and commercial shipping, especially as the U.S. military acted after Tehran’s attacks on vessels trying to pass through the strait.

The fighting had stretched into at least a fifth straight day by July 15 and 16, with the U.S. striking multiple targets and Iran retaliating across the region. Iranian officials reported deaths and injuries from U.S. attacks, while the U.S. military death toll in the war rose to 14. Iran’s counterstrikes also spread beyond its own borders, hitting U.S. allies and Gulf states and widening the risk of a broader regional confrontation.

The current campaign builds on an earlier round of U.S. strikes. The Congressional Research Service noted that on the evening of June 21, 2025, the United States carried out air- and sea-launched strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran. What began as strikes on nuclear infrastructure has since expanded into a broader war that now includes ports, shipping lanes and bridges, with no public endgame clearly defined.