With a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Iran approaching, Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday declared that Washington has largely “achieved its military objectives” in its conflict with the Islamic Republic.
The announcement came amid a fresh wave of US-Israeli strikes across Iran, which, according to Iranian state media, left at least 34 people dead, including six children.
The attacks extended beyond military sites, hitting key civilian infrastructure. Targets included a bridge near Qom and a railway bridge in Kashan, significantly disrupting transport links, Al Jazeera quoted Morteza Heydari, the deputy governor of the Qom province as saying to local media.
Authorities also closed a major northern highway connecting Tabriz to Tehran via Zanjan after it was struck roughly 90 km outside Tabriz.
Ground strikes have increasingly targeted transport corridors and logistical arteries, with Iranian officials describing the damage as substantial and highlighting rising strain on movement and supply networks.
Tehran signaled that its retaliation could escalate, particularly over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, if its demands are unmet. Trump warned that failure to reopen the vital transit route could prompt direct attacks on Iranian power plants and bridges, further undermining Tehran’s already strained economy and infrastructure.
Cross-border exchanges have continued. In Israel, an Iranian missile hit a residential building in Haifa, killing at least four people and causing widespread damage. Iranian-linked attacks also struck power and water desalination facilities in Kuwait and an oil installation in Bahrain, broadening the conflict to critical energy infrastructure.
