Key facts
- The US military fired on a Curaçao-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after it allegedly ignored multiple warnings.
- US forces conducted strikes on Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities, including targets around Tehran.
- Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait.
- Iranian officials report at least 35 killed and over 300 wounded in recent US strikes.
- The conflict has escalated following the collapse of a ceasefire, with the US reimposing a naval blockade on Iran.
- Oil prices have seen an increase, with Brent crude trading above $85 a barrel.
The US military reported disabling a Curaçao-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after it allegedly ignored multiple warnings, as Iran reported US strikes around its capital, Tehran, and on military sites. The US stated the action was part of its blockade on Iranian ports and aimed at Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels.
US forces struck Iranian command centers, air defense sites, missile and drone capabilities, and coastal surveillance facilities, including Bandar Abbas, and also hit a ship accused of attempting to break the naval blockade. Iranian state media reported that American strikes hit targets further north and around Tehran for the first time in this latest round of violence, as well as locations in Qeshm Island, Chabahar, and Semnan province.
In response to the escalating attacks, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks against US assets in the region, including Bahrain and Kuwait. Kuwaiti air defenses were reportedly confronting hostile drones following Iranian aggression. According to Iran's health ministry, at least 35 people have been killed and more than 300 have been wounded in the ongoing US attacks.
The US military resumed air strikes against Iran in broad daylight, intensifying its campaign aimed at limiting Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The recent surge of fighting has ended the interim deal to end the Iran war, returning an all-out war to the region. The Strait was initially closed following the launch of the US and Israel's war on Iran on February 28, sending oil, fertilizer, and other goods prices soaring.
Despite the heightened hostilities, Iran released an American, identified as Dena Karari, who had been detained since late 2024. President Trump acknowledged this as a gesture of goodwill from Iran.