US and Iran exchange strikes in renewed Middle East conflict

The United States and Iran traded blows on Thursday as fighting reignited in the Middle East, a month after a preliminary deal aimed at ending the conflict that began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. American forces conducted strikes for a sixth straight night and boarded a ship to enforce a naval blockade. US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the latest wave of attacks to “further degrade Iranian military capabilities.” Iranian state television reported two explosions in Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear plant, and blasts in coastal Bandar Abbas. The official news agency IRNA reported attacks on areas around Ahvaz. Tehran had warned it would target regional infrastructure if US President Donald Trump followed through on threats to attack power plants and bridges in Iran, though the White House said Trump remained “open to diplomacy.” The foes are battling over the vital Strait of Hormuz.