On the night of the 16th (local time), the sixth day of armed clashes between the United States and Iran, a chain of explosions from U.S. airstrikes erupted across major cities in southern and southwestern Iran.
According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency and IRIB, explosions were heard one after another in the southwestern provincial capital of Ahvaz in Khuzestan, as well as in the southern port cities of Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, on the evening of the same day.
Valiollah Hayati, the deputy governor of Khuzestan in charge of security and law enforcement, said, "An area near Ahvaz came under enemy attack," and noted, "Details on the airstrikes, the scale of the damage, and the authorities' response measures will be announced after further investigation."
Explosions were also reported in the southern coastal city of Bushehr. The Bushehr governor confirmed, "Just a few minutes ago, two explosions were heard in Bushehr city following the U.S. military's continued acts of aggression."
Three explosions also rang out in the western area of Bandar Abbas, a key port city near the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that Bandar Khamir, a Gulf coastal port city in Khamir County, Hormozgan Province in the south, came under attack by U.S. forces.
Earlier in the evening, U.S. missile strikes were also confirmed on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz and near Bandar Abbas. U.S. Central Command said on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "At 2 p.m. Eastern time today, U.S. forces launched nighttime airstrikes on Iran for the sixth consecutive day," adding, "an operation to further degrade Iran's military capabilities."