Key Takeaways
- Iran launches fresh attacks on American facilities after six days of US strikes.
- US targets Iranian coastal defences, missile sites, and key infrastructure.
- Escalation threatens global oil prices and regional stability.
In a renewed escalation of military conflict in the Gulf region, Iran has launched fresh attacks on American facilities following six consecutive nights of US strikes. The US Central Command reported that its forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, struck dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities.
Iranian media reported that five bridges were hit in the latest round of US strikes, along with the train station in coastal Bandar Khamir and Iranshahr Airport in southeastern Iran. Seven people were killed in US attacks on bridges in Bandar Khamir, a port city in southern Iran, according to state news agency IRNA.
In response, Iran has fired missiles and drones at US military bases in neighboring states, including an air base in Jordan. The country also targeted American facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait during the early hours of Friday. A witness reported several explosion-like sounds in Doha, with the Ministry of the Interior confirming a child was injured by shrapnel.
The escalation has once again halted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important shipping route for oil and gas. Tehran resumed its blockade of the strait, while Washington blockaded Iranian ports from Wednesday. The US has warned that it will ensure Iran faces consequences for any active acts of terrorism in the strait.
Iranian Army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia stated on Thursday that Iran could strike the Strait of Hormuz from anywhere within its territory, dismissing efforts to cripple Iran’s ability to control the strait. The US has not ruled out using ground forces, including seizing key infrastructure, to maintain control over the region.
Tehran has signalled it could prod the Houthi’s in Yemen to close another key strait: the Bab al-Mandeb at the mouth of the Red Sea, sources told Reuters. This move would further disrupt global energy supplies and push up oil prices. Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, stated that US President Donald Trump would not allow these acts of terrorism without ensuring Iran faces consequences.
The latest escalation comes days after a fragile truce collapsed, raising the specter of full-scale war. Military operations are also keeping ships from transiting the vital artery, which carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the US-Israeli war on Iran. Brent crude oil closed at a one-month high of $84.95 a barrel on Wednesday.
The conflict has intensified since Iran said late on Saturday it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, leading to hostilities that are keeping ships from transiting the vital artery. The US Central Command reported that its military attacked coastal defence systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Iran’s Greater Tunb Island starting around 6am EDT, then launched a second wave of strikes against multiple cities nine hours later.
