Hormuz Tensions Rise With Fresh US-Iran Strikes
News Desk
Tehran/Washington: The strategic Strait of Hormuz has become the focal point of the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran, as both sides exchanged fresh military strikes and competing claims over security in one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.
The latest escalation came after the United States carried out its eighth consecutive night of airstrikes against Iranian military targets, while Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other Gulf countries.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the latest strikes, ordered by President Donald Trump, targeted Iran’s coastal surveillance network, air defence systems, naval assets and missile and drone storage facilities. The operation was launched following an attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRG) on US forces in Jordan.
CENTCOM confirmed that two American service members were killed and another remains missing in the Jordan attack, bringing the reported US military death toll since the conflict began to 16. More than 420 American personnel have also been injured.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the deaths of the soldiers would strengthen America’s resolve as military operations continue.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported that US forces struck the Sarek area in southern Iran but said there were no casualties or significant damage.
As fighting intensified, attention shifted to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies pass. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei accused Washington of attempting to establish full control over the strategic maritime corridor.
The United States and Iran have also traded accusations over maritime security. Washington has reinforced its naval presence in the Gulf, while Tehran insists it is only intercepting vessels that violate Iranian maritime laws.
Amid growing fears over the impact on global energy supplies and commercial shipping, the European Union and Gulf states jointly urged Iran to halt attacks affecting maritime traffic and ensure the uninterrupted passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the US State Department issued a worldwide travel alert for American citizens, warning that regional instability and airspace closures could disrupt international travel.
In remarks carried by Iranian state media, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei accused Washington of acting in bad faith, saying recent US actions showed that agreements with President Donald Trump could not be trusted. He warned that the United States would face “an even heavier price” for its actions.
Khamenei’s current whereabouts remain undisclosed.
According to Iran’s Ministry of Health, US airstrikes over the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and injured more than 500 others, underscoring the growing humanitarian cost of the conflict.
