Residential home hit as Washington completes wave of attacks on IRGC targets after Iranian missile launches toward US forces.
Rescue workers dug through the rubble of a collapsed residential building on Iran’s Qeshm Island on Thursday after a United States strike killed three members of one family, according to Iranian state media.
The Fars news agency, citing the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, said a father, mother and their two-year-old child died when a home in the Chah Tangu neighbourhood of Qeshm was struck. Two other children from the same family, aged seven and nine, were pulled from the debris and taken to hospital. Search-and-rescue teams continued working at the site as power outages affected parts of the island.
The incident occurred as the US military announced it had completed a “heavy wave of strikes” against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets across Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation targeted dozens of sites, including military command centres, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defence positions, and maritime capabilities. The strikes were described as a response to Iranian ballistic missile launches the previous day aimed at US forces based in the Middle East, all of which Washington said were intercepted.
Trump Warns Iran as US Launches Fresh Strikes:
US President Donald Trump had warned that Iran would be hit “very hard” after the attempted strikes on American positions, including a base in Jordan hosting US troops. CENTCOM stated that more than 50,000 US service members remain deployed in the region and that the latest action aimed to reduce threats posed by Iran and its allies to American forces, commercial shipping and neighbouring Gulf states.
Iranian officials reported explosions in several southern locations, including Qeshm, Kish Island, Bushehr, and parts of Khuzestan province. A residential area on Qeshm was among the sites hit, according to local reports. Authorities in Hormozgan province confirmed emergency teams were assessing damage and treating the injured. Initial accounts from Iranian media described the Qeshm strike as hitting a family home rather than a military installation.
Qeshm, Iran’s largest island in the Persian Gulf and strategically positioned near the Strait of Hormuz, has featured repeatedly in the cycle of exchanges. The waterway is a critical artery for global oil shipments, and both sides have accused each other of actions that endanger commercial navigation.
US-Iran Conflict Intensifies Amid New Strikes:
The latest strikes form part of a prolonged confrontation that has seen repeated US operations against IRGC-linked facilities and Iranian responses targeting US assets in the region. Earlier phases of the fighting included strikes on coastal defence systems, drone sites and maritime assets, as well as Iranian claims of attacks on US bases in Gulf countries.
Civilian casualties have been a recurring element of the reporting from both sides. Iranian media have highlighted incidents involving non-combatants, while US statements have consistently described their targets as military in nature and said precision munitions were used. Independent verification of specific claims on the ground remains limited amid restricted access and ongoing hostilities.
Local officials on Qeshm said efforts continued to restore electricity and clear debris. No immediate comment was available from US authorities specifically addressing the reported civilian deaths on the island. CENTCOM’s statement focused on the military objectives of the operation and the interception of the earlier Iranian missiles.
As the situation evolves, the human cost of the exchanges continues to draw attention alongside the strategic contest over influence in the Gulf and the security of vital shipping lanes.