Key facts
- The U.S. and Iran exchanged military strikes for a second consecutive day.
- U.S. Central Command conducted precision strikes on Iranian military sites.
- Iran launched missiles at Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait in retaliation.
- Peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have stalled.
- The Persian Strait Gulf Authority announced the Strait of Hormuz would be closed.
The U.S. and Iran continued to exchange military strikes early Thursday, escalating hostilities and sidelining ongoing peace negotiations. U.S. Central Command announced that its forces, utilizing Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy assets, conducted precision munitions strikes on Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems, and air defense sites that posed a threat to U.S. forces and international commercial shipping.
The latest exchange follows earlier U.S. strikes against Iran, which were a response to Iranian forces shooting down an American Apache helicopter. President Trump stated on Wednesday that Iran had taken too long to conclude peace negotiations and would face consequences. In retaliation for the earlier U.S. actions, Tehran launched missiles targeting Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, countries where the U.S. maintains military bases or personnel.
Several Middle Eastern nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, condemned Iran's strikes. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denounced the actions as a violation of the targeted countries' sovereignty. The Persian Strait Gulf Authority, the Iranian agency managing the Strait of Hormuz, declared that the waterway would be completely closed following the latest U.S. strikes, advising those with transit permits to await further notice.
Despite the heightened regional tensions, the prices for West Texas Intermediate Crude and Brent Crude benchmarks saw a decline from Wednesday's levels. U.S. gas prices also decreased by more than two cents, falling below $4.13 per gallon.