The United States has struck several bridges in southern Iran as part of a strategy aimed at disrupting military supply routes to Bandar Abbas, a critical port city and naval hub near the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal that the attacks were intended to sever routes leading to the city, which hosts an important naval base used by Iran to project military power and conduct operations around the strategic waterway.

Iran’s state broadcaster reported several overnight attacks on bridges in and around Bandar Abbas, forcing the closure of highways connecting the coastal city with neighbouring provinces.

Additional strikes hit highway and railway bridges in Bandar Khamir, west of Bandar Abbas. Iranian state television reported that at least seven people were killed in the attacks, while a railway station and other infrastructure were also damaged.

Bandar Abbas is one of Iran’s most important military and maritime centres. The area hosts facilities operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and serves as a major base for Iranian naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf.

The strikes formed part of the sixth consecutive night of U.S. military attacks on Iran. U.S. Central Command said fighter jets, aerial drones and warships used precision weapons against dozens of Iranian targets, including coastal surveillance systems, air defences, military logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities.

Washington has also continued enforcing its renewed naval blockade of Iranian ports. American forces redirected three commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade, disabled another vessel after it refused to comply and boarded a tanker to inspect it, according to the Associated Press.

Iran responded by launching attacks against U.S. bases and facilities in several countries across the Middle East. Tehran also warned that it could target civilian infrastructure throughout the region if Washington expanded its campaign against Iranian infrastructure.

Despite the escalation, the White House said communication between Washington and Tehran remained open. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran continued to express interest in reaching an agreement, while accusing Tehran of violating an earlier memorandum by attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Donald Trump has said U.S. military operations will continue and previously threatened to expand the campaign to Iranian bridges, energy facilities and other infrastructure.

The renewed fighting has severely disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, while raising concerns that the conflict could expand further across the region.