US strikes Iran for first time in weeks as Tehran vows retaliation

The United States and Iran have exchanged attacks for the first time in several weeks, sharply escalating tensions around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the targets were linked to Iranian forces preparing to deploy sea mines that could threaten shipping. The US Central Command described the operation as a “limited, precise” action against what it called an imminent threat. 

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the strikes killed and injured several people and vowed to respond. Iranian forces subsequently launched missiles towards US military positions in Jordan. Jordanian authorities said eight missiles were intercepted after entering the country’s airspace.

Iranian state media also claimed that a US base in the United Arab Emirates had been targeted with drones. UAE authorities, however, rejected the claim that the Al-Minhad Air Base had been attacked, although they confirmed that a drone had been shot down.

The US strike was the first known American attack on Iranian territory since late July, ending weeks of relative calm while Washington increased economic pressure on Tehran. The renewed violence has raised fears of another major escalation in a conflict that has already severely disrupted the region.

At the centre of the latest confrontation is the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and the Gulf states that is crucial to global energy supplies. Before the conflict, around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strait.

The waterway has effectively been closed since the conflict began, contributing to major fluctuations in global oil prices. Recent fighting and restrictions on shipping have further increased concerns over the safety of commercial vessels. Oil prices rose above $90 a barrel after the latest exchange of strikes. 

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Iran has accused the US of aggression and said its response was justified as self-defence. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was not seeking war but would respond decisively to attacks.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video appearing to show Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil export hub, being destroyed. No such attack had been confirmed at the time.

(BBC News)