Moment of U.S. airstrikes on Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. [Reuters=Yonhap News]

Amidst the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, southern Iran has been subjected to widespread aerial bombardment by U.S. forces.

It is reported that the Iranian military is preparing for a massive retaliatory strike targeting U.S. bases in the Middle East following the attacks on key port cities and islands heavily concentrated with military facilities.

According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, a series of explosions were heard across various locations in southern Iran near the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman on the 8th (local time).

Several powerful explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas, a port city in the central-southern region of Iran located in the heart of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as on Sirik, an island near the eastern exit of the strait.

Bandar Abbas is home to the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, which commands the fast-attack craft, mine-laying vessels, and surface-to-ship missiles that control the Strait of Hormuz.

Sirik Island is known to be a site heavily concentrated with IRGC coastal missile bases.

During this U.S. airstrike campaign, explosive sounds were also heard in the waters adjacent to the western coast of Sirik.

Reports also indicated that several strong explosions occurred in Chabahar, a port city in southeastern Iran along the Gulf of Oman.

Chabahar is a vital strategic hub for Iran, serving as a key port city that hosts both IRGC bases and significant economic and military infrastructure.

Fars News Agency reported that it has not yet been confirmed whether these explosions were caused by U.S. airstrikes or if they resulted from the engagement of Iranian air defense systems and mutual exchanges of fire.

According to Iran’s state-affiliated Nour News, power supplies were disrupted in some areas of Chabahar city.

Nour News also reported that multiple explosions were heard in Bushehr in southwestern Iran, and that anti-aircraft batteries were actively engaging hostile targets.

Bushehr, located on the Persian Gulf, is a critical site housing Iran's only nuclear power plant and an IRGC naval base.

Iranian media outlets reported that, for the time being, no damage has been observed at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The Iranian military is reportedly planning further retaliation to hold the U.S. accountable for these airstrikes.

A military source told Nour News, "In addition to the engagement of our integrated air defense network against hostile targets, missile and drone units will launch a massive, comprehensive attack on U.S. terrorist bases in the Middle East within minutes."

An Iranian military official warned, "Every U.S. base that served as a staging ground for tonight's aggression against our southern regions, or provided support for this aggression, will be subject to powerful missile and drone attacks from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran without exception."

The U.S. and Iran have fallen into a vicious cycle of military conflict following prolonged friction over the control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The day prior, the U.S. military conducted airstrikes on several strongholds in southern Iran in retaliation for Iran’s attack on a merchant vessel that had veered off a designated path while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

In response, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting the U.S. military to carry out a new series of bombings in the southern region on this day.