US forces carried out airstrikes on four Iranian cities and three islands in the Islamic Republic's south on early Thursday morning, Iranian state media reported.

The cities of Abadan and Kazerun in southwestern Iran, the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr, the port of Bandar Abbas, as well as the islands of Abu Musa, Kish, and Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz were hit in particular.

Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) had reported strikes on targets in Iran in response to the latter's attack on US forces in the region.

According to CENTCOM, the two-hour strikes struck dozens of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets, including command centers, missile and drone launch sites, and coastal defense facilities.

The strikes were aimed at further reducing threats posed by Iran and its allies to US forces, commercial shipping, and neighboring Gulf states, CENTCOM added.