US expands Iran offensive as diplomats claim talks ongoing

The United States widened its air campaign against Iran on Monday, striking the area around Bushehr, home to Iran's only operating civilian nuclear power plant, as well as Tabriz, believed to hold underground missile bases. The Guardian (World) reports that Iran answered with strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, even as diplomats on both sides insisted negotiations were still underway. The US military says it targeted command centers, air defenses, coastal surveillance and missile and drone launch sites, and confirmed a third American service member killed in the current round of fighting. The price of oil has passed ninety dollars a barrel, deepening an energy crisis whose reach extends far beyond the Gulf.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton