The US military launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday after renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz saw several of Washington's Gulf allies targeted by incoming fire. The flare-up is the latest to undermine an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their war, which has caused global economic shockwaves since it began in late February.
Escalation of Conflict
The latest salvo by US forces began at 2100 GMT on Sunday, according to Central Command (CENTCOM). This followed approximately 140 strikes the previous night. Iranian state media reported US strikes targeting large areas across southern and western Iran, including Qeshm island and Bandar Abbas near the strait, and in Khuzestan province bordering Iraq.
Economic Impact
Oil prices, which have tumbled since the announcement of the agreement, rose over 3.5 percent when futures trading opened Monday in Tokyo, with the US benchmark WTI jumping above $74 a barrel. The economic impact of the conflict continues to reverberate globally, affecting markets and trade routes.
Regional Tensions
Iran also reported strikes on two of its southern islands, while Kuwait, where Tehran has repeatedly targeted US installations, said border posts and an offshore oil platform had been attacked. The renewed fighting followed an Iranian attack early Sunday on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whose crew was forced to abandon it after it went up in flames.
Strategic Importance of the Strait
Control of the strategic waterway has become key leverage for Iran. An adviser to the country's supreme leader said it was more important than "dozens of atomic bombs." Mediators have been trying to salvage a diplomatic solution to ending the war after President Donald Trump this week declared a ceasefire over.
Humanitarian Impact
Iranian state media reported at least 10 "enemy projectiles" hitting Qeshm Island, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz. It also reported strikes on the island of Farur, to the east of Qeshm in the Gulf, that it said killed a telecommunications worker and wounded two others. Official news agency IRNA also reported early on Monday morning that US strikes had killed one person and wounded four at a water pumping station in the southwest city of Mahshahr.
International Reactions
Kuwait said three of its land border posts in the north were damaged in an attack, and that an offshore drilling platform "was targeted by a hostile drone," with one person injured. Tehran said it had targeted two ships in Hormuz early Sunday, including one that caught fire. The American military said it had responded with strikes on about 140 targets, and Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Jask and on Qeshm, as well as in Khuzestan province, with one soldier reported killed.
