Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated significantly as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to block key regional trade routes in response to a fresh wave of US military operations. The Revolutionary Guards declared that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US ceases its current "acts of aggression," while also warning that other oil and gas export channels serving the interests of the US and its allies may be targeted.
The US military's Central Command (Centcom) confirmed it conducted drone, air, and navy strikes against Iran on Wednesday morning, following a seven-hour operation that took place overnight. According to Centcom, the latest strikes were designed to further degrade Iran's capability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. These operations included a 90-minute wave of attacks targeting Iranian coastal defenses, as well as cruise missile storage and launch sites located on Greater Tunb Island.
These hostilities have caused significant disruption to tanker traffic through the critical shipping route, leading to a sharp increase in global oil prices. In a related development, the US implemented a renewed blockade on Iranian ports on Tuesday evening, effectively preventing vessels from transiting to and from Iranian coastal areas.
Political rhetoric has also intensified, with US President Donald Trump vowing on Tuesday to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants if the country fails to return to negotiations. Speaking in an interview on the program Special Report with Bret Baier, President Trump stated that he intends to save energy targets for last but confirmed that they will ultimately be hit. This follows a previous threat made by the President in April to bomb civilian infrastructure, which was criticized by UN human rights chief Volker Türk as a potential war crime under international law.
Meanwhile, Iranian state-run media reported that the country’s army conducted separate attacks against US targets in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain. US allies in the region confirmed that they successfully intercepted several drones and missiles launched from Iran during these exchanges.
