Key facts
- President Donald Trump stated US strikes on Iran honor fallen soldiers.
- The US military conducted a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iran.
- Three US service members have been killed in recent days.
- A ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran claimed two oil tankers were destroyed in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Brent crude oil prices rose above $90 a barrel.
President Donald Trump stated that recent US strikes on Iran were conducted to honor American service members killed in the conflict. The US military launched a ninth night of strikes targeting Iran early Monday, following the death of another American service member in northern Iraq on Saturday during a controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance on an Iranian attack drone. This brings the total US service member deaths in recent days to three, following two killed and one missing in action in an Iranian attack on a Jordanian airbase on Friday.
As the strikes commenced, a ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards claimed two oil tankers were blown up attempting to transit the strait's southern route, though this lacked independent confirmation. The US and Iran have edged closer to direct conflict as an interim deal to end fighting has crumbled and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled.
Iran has continued to retaliate with attacks on US-allied countries, including sirens heard in Bahrain and a claimed 'surprise attack' on a command center in Syria. Kuwait's armed forces said they had intercepted Iranian drones. Israel warned of the potential for strikes to spill across its borders, reigniting a regional conflict. The US is expected to send additional refuelling planes to Israel. Trump has previously threatened to target Iran's power stations and bridges to compel Tehran to loosen its hold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil supplies transit. The US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports last week to halt crude oil shipments.
Oil prices rose at the opening of trading in Asia, with Brent crude climbing above $90 a barrel, the highest level since June, amid concerns over the Strait of Hormuz and potential supply disruptions. Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned of 'unforgettable lessons' if the US continued its attacks, and an Iranian negotiator stated Tehran was suspending commitments in an interim deal.