Iran claims strikes in Syria and Bahrain after new U.S. attacks

U.S. Central Command said it struck dozens of Iranian military targets for a sixth consecutive night, while Iran said American attacks hit civilian sites and claimed retaliatory operations against U.S. military-linked targets in Syria and Bahrain. Oil prices rose Friday as the widening conflict added pressure to energy markets already sensitive to any disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

Centcom said overnight that its latest wave of operations targeted Iranian air defenses, logistics assets and maritime capabilities. In a social media post, the command said more than 50,000 U.S. service members were operating across the Middle East and remained prepared for further action.

Iranian state media said the overnight U.S. strikes killed eight people and injured 20. It also alleged that civilian infrastructure, including bridges, a railway station and an airport, had been hit. CNBC reported that it could not independently verify those accounts.

The exchanges deepen the strain on an interim truce signed last month by Washington and Tehran. That agreement was intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop hostilities, according to CNBC. The waterway is a key route for global oil flows, so military activity near it can affect crude prices by raising the perceived risk to shipping and supply.

Claims of regional attacks

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they attacked a U.S. command center in Syria’s al-Tanf region, Iranian state media reported. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military or the Syrian government, according to CNBC.

The U.S. military said in February that it had completed its withdrawal from the al-Tanf military base. The site sits near Syria’s borders with Iraq and Jordan, giving it strategic relevance in a region where several states are trying to limit spillover from the conflict.

Syria has said it does not want to be pulled into the fighting. President Ahmed al-Sharaa told a Chatham House event in March that Syria would “remain outside” the conflict unless it faced direct attacks.

Bahrain’s Defence Force said it intercepted multiple aerial attacks from Iran after air raid sirens sounded overnight. The alert followed an Iranian claim that it had targeted U.S. aircraft at Bahrain’s Sakhir airbase.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said it was responding to Iranian missile and drone attacks. Jordan and Qatar both said they intercepted Iranian missiles, according to CNBC.

Trump says campaign is succeeding

U.S. President Donald Trump defended the war effort in a primetime address Thursday, saying: “We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly.”

Trump had previously threatened to strike Iranian bridges and power plants next week if Tehran did not return to negotiations, CNBC reported. Those remarks added to concerns that the conflict could move from military facilities toward infrastructure with broader economic consequences.

Crude benchmarks advanced Friday morning. Brent futures for September delivery rose 0.5% to $84.67 a barrel after trimming earlier gains, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for August delivery gained 0.9% to $79.66. WTI had settled Thursday at its highest level since June 15.

Both Brent and WTI were up more than 11% for the week and were on course for their strongest weekly performance since late April, according to CNBC.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.