Key facts
- President Donald Trump suggested Iran and Hezbollah could be added to a Russia sanctions bill.
- The US has conducted further attacks on Iranian territory, including islands and cities.
- Iran claims to have struck US military sites in Kuwait and a vessel.
- A blockade on Iranian ports and a transit fee for the Strait of Hormuz were announced by President Trump.
- Two UAE tankers were attacked by Iranian missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in one fatality.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah might be added to a sanctions bill currently before Congress, which is aimed at Russia. This declaration comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, which appear to have ended a previous interim agreement for a cessation of hostilities.
The U.S. is reportedly conducting further attacks on Iran, with Iranian media reporting explosions on Kish Island, Jam Island, Qeshm Island, as well as in Bushehr and Bandar Abbas. Iran's army claimed responsibility for striking U.S. military sites in Kuwait and a "hostile vessel of the American enemy."
President Trump also announced that the U.S. military would reinstate its blockade on Iranian ports and that Washington would act as "THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT," imposing a 20% fee on all cargo transiting the waterway. This blockade was set to resume Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, barring vessels from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
In a separate incident, the UAE's Defence Ministry reported that two of its national tankers, the Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the southern lane of the Strait of Hormuz within Omani territorial waters. One Indian crew member was killed and eight others wounded. The UAE condemned the attack as "blatant" and reserved its right to respond.
Elsewhere, Yemen's Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for a strike on Sanaa airport and stated they had responded with missiles toward the kingdom. Saudi Arabia confirmed intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile, signaling a potential end to a de facto truce. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their strikes in Gaza and Lebanon, even as the European Commission and other nations initiated a $1 billion program for aid and recovery projects in Gaza.