The United States launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting coastal defense systems and cruise missile sites on Greater Tunb Island. US Central Command said the operation, completed in approximately 90 minutes, was designed to degrade Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes are the latest in an intensifying struggle for control of the waterway, which handles about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments. Iran has threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz completely and halt additional energy exports in response to a new US naval blockade on its ports.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck US military targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. The conflict, which began in late February, has already caused major disruption to global energy markets, with oil prices rising.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iranian energy infrastructure if Tehran does not resume negotiations. An interim ceasefire signed last month has failed to lead to a return to talks. Analysts warn that while full-scale war is unlikely, the risk of further escalation remains, particularly through Iran's Houthi allies who could target the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a second critical energy chokepoint.