TEHRAN, (PIC)
The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes for a third consecutive night, expanding the confrontation to new targets in southern Iran and US military positions in the Gulf, as oil prices surged amid growing fears over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and global energy supplies.
US Central Command said it had completed its latest wave of strikes against Iran in a five-hour mission, targeting military sites across the country.
CENTCOM said the strikes used precision-guided munitions against Iranian coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, and naval capabilities, with the stated aim of further degrading Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping.
It added that airstrikes against Iran were continuing under orders from US President Donald Trump.
Iranian state television reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and Kish Island, while Iran’s state news agency said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas.
Iranian media also reported heavy US strikes on the southern Sirk area, and Tasnim news agency said six explosions were heard in Konarak and Chabahar in southeastern Iran.
In response, the Iranian army said it had targeted US military assets in Kuwait with suicide drones, including communications systems, fuel tanks, a Patriot system, a control tower and an ammunition depot, in response to repeated US attacks.
Iranian naval forces also announced that they targeted a hostile US-linked vessel with cruise missiles, stressing that defensive operations would continue in proportion to the scale of US strikes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its naval forces were continuing to defend Iran’s rights in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the US military of trying to push ships through an illegal route.
The IRGC said two oil tankers turned off their navigation systems and ignored warnings, causing them to pass through a mined route where they were hit and disabled.
It warned that such moves would delay the reopening of the strait and threaten global energy supplies.
Oil prices jumped after Trump announced the reimposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Brent crude rose 9.59% to $83.30 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate climbed 9.1% to $77.87, according to Reuters.
Analysts say concerns over tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, will remain the main driver of higher prices as shipping slows and the number of vessels crossing the strait falls to its lowest level in five weeks.
The military escalation has also cast doubt over the future of a temporary agreement signed last month between the US and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war after an additional negotiation period.