Iran accuses the United States of bombing civilian infrastructure

Iran on Friday accused the United States of bombing civilian infrastructure in its latest wave of airstrikes since peace talks collapsed last week.

Iranian state media are reporting that bridges, a train station, and an airport were among the sites hit.

Officials said the strikes have killed dozens of people and wounded hundreds of others, with new casualties reported on Friday.

The airstrikes are part of US President Donald Trump’s threat to start hitting infrastructure in order to pressurise Tehran to ease its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by launching new missile attacks against US-allied nations in the Middle East, including Qatar, a key mediator in the war.

It also damaged a power and water desalination plant in Kuwait, which is crucial infrastructure in the desert nation.

Since the interim ceasefire agreed to last month collapsed, the region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks by the US and Iran as they battle for control of the strait.

Tehran effectively closed the waterway to shipping traffic after Washington and Israel launched the war on 28 February.

That sent the price of oil soaring and gave Iran major leverage in negotiations. The renewed conflict has again cut off global energy supplies from the Middle East.