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The U.S. and Iran Escalate Attacks
(Wall Street Journal) Benoit Faucon - Fighting between the U.S. and Iran expanded on Friday, with the American military striking a broader range of targets and moving jet fighters into the Middle East while Tehran launches attacks across the Persian Gulf. Recent targets have included multiple bridges in an effort to cut off supply routes to the port and naval base at Bandar Abbas on the Strait of Hormuz. The port normally handles 90% of the country's container traffic. Iran also uses the facilities to attack ships, a senior U.S. official said. Several highways connecting the port city to nearby provinces were declared closed, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB. The U.S. has been striking targets throughout the country and not just along the coast, a U.S. defense official said. In recent days, Iran fired a ballistic missile at a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia after avoiding hitting the kingdom. On Friday, Kuwait said Iranian strikes damaged a power and desalination plant, while the country intercepted 32 drone attacks since Thursday. Iran also has begun attacking Qatar and Oman - two countries involved in efforts to find a diplomatic solution - and stepped up its attacks on shipping.