The US struck bridges and an airport in Iran on Friday, provoking Tehran to respond by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait, as the warring foes risked further escalation by expanding their targets to include key infrastructure.At sea, where the renewed conflict has again cut off energy supplies from the Gulf, US Marines boarded a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz. Another vessel was seized by armed men off Yemen, raising concern over security in West Asia’s other big choke point for oil shipments at the mouth of the Red Sea. Washington and Tehran have been testing the limits of escalation since their ceasefire agreement collapsed last week, raising the prospect of a return to all-out war.As reports of Friday’s escalation emerged, benchmark Brent crude oil prices surged by more than 3 per cent to near $87, the highest level since an interim agreement a month ago aimed at ending the war. Global share prices fell, with Wall Street opening sharply lower.In the latest strikes, the US military’s Central Command included “military logistics infrastructure” in the list of targets it said it had hit, the first time it has mentioned infrastructure in more than a week.Iranian state media said at least five bridges had been struck in the south. Seven people were reported killed in attacks on bridges in the southern port of Bandar Khamir, where the train station was also hit. An airport was reported hit further east and away from the coast in Iranshahr, in a province bordering Pakistan.In response, Iran announced attacks on Gulf countries that host US airbases, including Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.Authorities in Kuwait said one of the country’s power generation and water desalination stations had been hit in an Iranian attack, causing damage to facilities, a fire, and the disruption of a large number of electricity generation units.Firefighters brought the blaze under control, while technical teams began assessing the damage, securing the station and working to restore power generation as soon as possible, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said.Meanwhile, India has directed merchant shipping companies to “stop deploying” Indian seafarers on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz until further notice.Meanwhile, New Delhi said the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar port — which it operates — had not been hit in the recent US strikes.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We have seen some reports in that regard, but we can also tell you that the terminal itself did not face any damage”.Jaiswal added: “There was a waiver which was given by the US (allowing India to operate the port); that waiver got over some time back. Post that, we have been in discussion with relevant stakeholders (over) how to take this particular issue forward”.Iranian media had reported Friday that a maritime control tower of a port in Chabahar was hit, while US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had posted an image on X of a tower being blown up.Earlier, the Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) in India issued the advisory citing the security situation following a series of attacks on merchant vessels operating in the region.The advisory follows a series of attacks on merchant vessels in recent days. The DGMA said it had significantly increased the risks faced by seafarers operating in the conflict-affected region.The MEA responded to it saying the “situation is sensitive, and an advisory has been issued. This is our responsibility to keep them protected. Fourteen Indians have been killed in West Asia and two are missing”.The advisory said: “In view of the heightened security situation in the Gulf region, including incidents resulting in casualties among Indian seafarers and continuing attacks on merchant vessels during the ongoing conflict, the directorate considers it necessary to adopt enhanced precautionary measures to safeguard the interests of Indian seafarers serving on board ships operating in the region”.Under the advisory, ship owners, ship managers and Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) companies have been directed to avoid assigning Indian seafarers to voyages involving passages through the Strait of Hormuz until further orders.Masters of vessels operating in the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining waters have also been instructed to maintain heightened security vigilance, continuously monitor navigational warnings and security advisories, and implement all applicable Ship Security Measures, Ship Security Plans (SSP) and Company Security Procedures in accordance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code.Meanwhile the US Military Central Command (CENTCOM) completed its latest major wave of strikes against Iran, a statement said on Friday.US forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, launched precision munitions that hit dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defence sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities.This was the sixth consecutive night of US strikes against Iran, the US Central Command said.Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned its neighbours hosting US bases of a “more crushing response” if attacks on infrastructure continue.DGMA hosts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd)The Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) hosted National Maritime Security Coordinator Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd) recently. He was shown the Crisis Response Management Module of the e-Navik Portal, which enables digital reporting, monitoring, and coordinated management of maritime emergencies.Discussions also covered operational preparedness and collaborative response mechanisms in light of evolving maritime security developments in the Persian Gulf region.(With agency inputs)