As U.S. strikes bridges in Iran, it targets a water desalination plant in Kuwait

By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/as-u-s-strikes-bridges-in-iran-it-targets-a-water-desalination-plant-in-kuwait Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter As U.S. strikes bridges in Iran, it targets a water desalination plant in Kuwait World Jul 17, 2026 3:41 PM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States expanded its airstrike campaign against Iran early Friday by hitting more bridges, energy sites and collapsing a tower at a key Iranian port, backing up President Donald Trump's threats to start striking infrastructure to pressure Tehran to ease its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. READ MORE: Iran war driving up costs and putting seafarers at risk, UN maritime chief warns Iran launched missile attacks against U.S.-allied nations in the Middle East, including Qatar, a mediator in the war, and Kuwait, where a power and water desalination plant — vital infrastructure in the desert nation — was damaged. The interim ceasefire agreed to last month has collapsed, and the region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks by the U.S. and Iran as they battle for control of the strait. Iranian officials say recent U.S. strikes have killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds of others, with new casualties reported in Friday's strikes. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. When the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran effectively closed the strait to shipping traffic, a move that sent the price of oil soaring and gave Iran major leverage in negotiations. As crossings through the strait hit a three-week low, according to an international shipping tracker, the price of oil rose above $86 a barrel, close to its highest level in a month. READ MORE: 3 islands help control access to the Strait of Hormuz. They're in the crosshairs of the Iran war Speaking in a primetime address to the American public on Thursday, Trump insisted the war was going well. "We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly," Trump said. Before the war began, the U.S. had been in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump now faces political pressure to bring the war to a close and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against. Bridges and 'electrical infrastructure' hit in Iran The U.S. airstrikes hit bridges overnight into Friday in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, killing at least seven people, Iranian state television reported. The attacks hit Bandar Khamir, a city on Iran's coast on the Strait of Hormuz. The highway and railway bridge strikes appeared aimed at cutting off Bandar Abbas, Iran's main port, from roads leading into the Islamic Republic's central region onward to Tehran, the capital. While other routes still are open, the U.S. str