Iran Claims It Downed MQ-9 Drone As US Strikes Damage Children's Cancer Hospital

The United States carried out a fresh round of airstrikes on Iran overnight and renewed a blockade of its ports, while Tehran targeted American allies in the Middle East as it vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed "until the US ends its aggression." In Iran, explosions were heard in several locations, including Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Konarak, Rask City, Khondab, and the western city of Khorramabad, according to a report by Al Jazeera. Explosions were also heard in Ahvaz, where Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that Shahid Baghaei Hospital was impacted by the American bombardment, damaging its child cancer treatment department. As a result, the hospital, which provides chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients, including children, had to be evacuated. The American strikes also hit an Iranian army barracks, killing at least seven troops and wounding hundreds of people across the country, Iranian officials said.