The US military carried out military strikes on Iran for the 10th consecutive night on Monday. The operation aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, vital for commercial traffic, in response to the deaths of US soldiers and Tehran’s attacks on US allies such as Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.
US Central Command said on social media that the latest strikes were aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities, which are used to attack commercial ships. As the conflict escalated, President Donald Trump reacted strongly to attacks on US troops, saying on social media that every time Iran kills a US soldier, they will pay the price manifold. Trump is scheduled to arrive at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday evening to receive the body of the fallen US soldier. Meanwhile, the U.S. military said the attack had targeted Iran’s military command center, air defense and coastal monitoring centers, maritime systems, missile and drone launch sites, as well as communications networks, the previous night. Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said at least one person was killed in a US strike near the northwestern city of Tabriz, where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is believed to have an underground missile base. Last week, the US military also attacked a port bridge and monitoring tower in Iran. IRNA also reported attacks on Imam Khomeini’s Bandar in Khuzestan province, Sirik and Jask in Hormozgan province, as well as Konark and Sabah in Sistan and Baluchistan provinces.
The conflict has now spread throughout the Gulf region. A second merchant vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz near the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, the British Navy’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. Another ship caught fire after being hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman and the crew were forced to abandon ship. During this period, Iran also targeted US partners in the region. Kuwait said it had repelled several attacks from Iran, while Jordanian armed forces destroyed three Iranian missiles without causing any casualties. Bahrain has strongly condemned Iran’s drone strikes, saying they pose a threat to civil aviation.
The conflict has also raised new concerns about the global energy supply system. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on Monday and said they would stop shipping between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They are responding to an alleged Saudi attack on Sana’a International Airport last week. The closure near the Strait of Hormuz has forced Saudi Arabia to rely on the Red Sea pipeline to continue exporting oil, although there was no immediate response from Riyadh. The dispute has pushed crude oil prices higher in recent weeks, with Brent crude trading above $88 a barrel on Monday. The US military also said it had diverted seven ships and disabled one after reimposing a naval blockade aimed at limiting Iran’s oil exports.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been halted since a temporary ceasefire agreement signed last month failed. However, there has been some diplomatic activity amid the counter-attacks. A visit to Pakistan by Iran’s interior minister, who has been acting as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, brings faint hopes of calming the situation. Whether diplomatic action will restore peace and normalize trade in the region remains to be seen.