At least 35 civilians have been killed and more than 300 others injured in a series of recent U.S. airstrikes targeting southern Iran, according to the Iranian Health Ministry, as Tehran accused Washington of escalating the conflict despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour said on Wednesday that the casualties included women and children, describing the attacks as a serious blow to civilian communities in several southern provinces.

Writing on the social media platform X, Kermanpour said the strikes had claimed the lives of 35 people and wounded more than 300 others. He added that the provinces of Hormozgan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Khuzestan sustained the heaviest damage during the latest wave of attacks.

Iranian officials condemned the strikes as violations of international law, arguing that civilian areas have borne the brunt of the escalating military campaign.

Separately, according to Iran's Fars News Agency, U.S. strikes targeted three locations in the southwestern city of Bushehr on Wednesday morning. Provincial authorities said no casualties were reported in that attack, although assessments of material damage were ongoing.

The latest strikes came after U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that military operations against Iran would continue and intensify in the coming days. He warned that U.S. forces would begin targeting Iran's power plants and bridges unless Tehran returned to negotiations.

Since early Sunday, the United States has carried out daily strikes on multiple Iranian cities and islands, saying the operations were launched in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Tuesday evening, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also announced the resumption of a naval blockade on Iran, further heightening tensions in the region.

Iran, meanwhile, says it has responded by targeting what it describes as U.S. military facilities in several Arab countries. Some of those countries have reported civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure resulting from the exchanges.

The sharp escalation has unfolded despite a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding intended to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran and lay the groundwork for a lasting peace agreement.

Iranian authorities maintain that the latest U.S. military actions undermine those diplomatic efforts. Tehran has formally lodged a complaint with the United Nations, accusing Washington of violating the memorandum of understanding and calling on the international community to hold the United States accountable for what it described as unlawful military aggression.

Iranian officials have urged international organizations to condemn the attacks and to prioritize diplomatic engagement, warning that continued military escalation risks further destabilizing the region and increasing the humanitarian toll on civilians. (ILKHA)