US strikes inside Iran expand beyond earlier targets, Iranian reports say

BAGHDAD, Iraq — US forces carried out additional airstrikes inside Iranian territory on Thursday evening, hitting areas near the village of Mesen on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, according to Tasnim, an outlet linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The same day, US forces bombed the Suze coastal area on the island, indicating a widening of US military operations on Iranian soil. Iran's Health Ministry said the death toll from US airstrikes, which began on June 27, had risen to 55, with 629 people wounded. The strikes come as Washington and Tehran have traded attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has said it is targeting US bases and facilities. Tensions have escalated despite a memorandum of understanding signed in June that envisioned a ceasefire and negotiations. US President Donald Trump said on July 8 that he had ended the ceasefire, citing Iranian attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has called for the protection of freedom of international navigation and an end to attacks on shipping in the strait. Iran has said it will continue operating its own regulatory mechanism for vessel transits through the waterway. The expanding conflict has raised the risk of disruptions to global oil and gas supply.