Iran says 18 killed, 142 injured in US strikes since Sunday

At least 18 people have been killed and 142 others injured in recent airstrikes launched by US forces, an Iranian health official said Thursday.

Hossein Kermanpour, spokesman for Iran's Health Ministry, said in a post on US social media platform X that the casualties occurred between the evenings of Aug. 30 and Sept. 2.

Kermanpour said the injured included 61 women and 44 people under the age of 18, while two women and one child were among those killed.

"Behind every number stands a human being and a family," Kermanpour said.

This came amid renewed military escalation following a US strike on Larak Island on Sunday, which ended a month-long lull in regional hostilities.

Washington said US forces targeted two Iranian launchers after observing preparations to deploy rockets carrying sea mines.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated by attacking US military facilities in neighboring countries, including Kuwait, the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain and Iraq.

US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, launched fresh airstrikes against IRGC targets inside Iran late Tuesday.