Key facts
- The US conducted a second day of air strikes targeting Iran.
- Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and warned vessels.
- Iran's IRGC reported striking two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanged fire in southern Lebanon.
- Kuwait closed its airspace due to Iranian aggressions.
- Yemen's Houthis warned of wider regional conflict and global economic consequences from US strikes on Iran.
The United States carried out a second day of air strikes targeting Iran, escalating regional tensions. Iran's military command responded by announcing the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, and warned that any vessel attempting to transit the waterway would be targeted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed its forces struck two vessels attempting to pass through the strait and launched a retaliatory strike against 18 US regional installations.
Concurrently, heavy fighting persisted between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, with missile strikes and artillery shelling reported. Israeli attacks have resulted in significant casualties, including children, and displaced civilians are fleeing affected areas. The UN human rights office announced it would send investigators to Lebanon to assess violations by all parties.
Kuwait announced the temporary closure of its airspace as a precautionary measure due to Iranian aggressions. Yemen's Houthi Foreign Ministry warned that the ongoing US military strikes against Iran risk triggering a wider regional conflict with severe global consequences for supply chains, international trade, and energy markets. An expert suggested that President Trump's threats against Iran were a tactic to coerce a deal rather than an immediate intent to attack.