‘It was back-to-back explosions’: Iranians recall 48 hours of terror after US attack on port cities

Iranian authorities say at least 14 people have been killed in attacks over the past two days, with more than 78 injured. Photograph: AFPTV/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Iranian authorities say at least 14 people have been killed in attacks over the past two days, with more than 78 injured. Photograph: AFPTV/AFP/Getty Images ‘It was back-to-back explosions’: Iranians recall 48 hours of terror after US attack on port cities Residents in Bandar Abbas and Sirik regions describe communities in fear and ‘feeling abandoned’ after US launch fresh strikes over two-day period R esidents in southern Iran have described two nights of fear this week after explosions shook coastal communities as the US launched fresh strikes on targets including the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik . US Central Command confirmed the attacks, saying they were carried out to “further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the strait of Hormuz”. For residents in Posht-e Shahr, Bandar Abbas, back-to-back explosions marked another night of terror as they scrambled to check on friends and family. Noor, a teacher who lives near the fishing pier, said this week’s strikes were stronger than most in recent months. Military strikes on water facilities in Iran may constitute a war crime, experts say Read more “Right now there’s calm, but last night and the night before were terrifying. It was around 1am or so that I heard back-to-back explosions – at least 10. There were perhaps also the sounds of the air defences. We have a little cat at home. He was so scared and hid under the bed,” said Noor, who like the other residents, asked to use a pseudonym. The 40-year-old said fear is growing that the attacks may continue. At sunset, she feels increasingly unsettled about what the night may bring. “My biggest fear is for the fishermen. I live very close to the pier, and I know there were so many boats there with just fishermen trying to start early because it’s getting hot early in the morning.” “I found out that many more have been injured in last night’s strikes, and several are dead. I am really worried that this time the impact will be worse for civilians,” she said. 0:48 US launches retaliatory strikes on Iran after Hormuz ship attacks – video Iranian authorities say at least 14 people have been killed in attacks over the past two days, with more than 78 injured. The fresh strikes also hit Sirik, another port city about 180km from Bandar Abbas. For those living in villages around Sirik, this week’s strikes have compounded existing challenges, including water shortages – which were exacerbated by US attacks on two water storage facilities. Those strikes have reportedly affected more than 20,000 civilians. Mina, 41, a mother of two, has been rationing water and paying for water cans for daily chores in the days since June’s attacks. She says further strikes would worsen already dire living conditions as temperatures rise above 45C. “We have a water short