The United States has launched new airstrikes against Iran, targeting its capability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, following a fatal Iranian attack that killed two U.S. military personnel in Jordan and left another missing.
U.S. Central Command announced that the strikes, initiated at President Donald Trump's direction, were designed to degrade Iran's ability to disrupt maritime traffic and punish the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for the assault on American service members. The announcement of the strikes came after Iran's supreme leader warned Washington would pay for escalating the conflict.
The IRGC claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. military support centers in Kuwait and facilities in Bahrain and Jordan, including a radar installation and U.S. combat aircraft. Reports from Iranian media indicated strikes near Sirik in southern Iran, though no casualties or infrastructure damage were immediately confirmed by independent sources. Kuwait's state news agency reported damage to an oil facility and injuries sustained by personnel responding to attacks.
The renewed hostilities follow the collapse of an interim ceasefire deal, increasing fears of a return to full-scale conflict. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, "Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve." Earlier U.S. strikes on Iran reportedly targeted infrastructure, including bridges and power facilities, with Iran's Health Ministry claiming over the past three weeks that 50 people were killed and more than 500 wounded in U.S. operations.
The U.S. State Department issued a worldwide travel alert for Americans abroad, citing heightened tensions and the potential for unforeseen escalation in the Middle East. The conflict, which began in late February with U.S. and Israeli strikes aimed at disabling Iran's missile program and regional proxies, has significantly disrupted energy supplies and raised concerns about global inflation and control of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
European Union and Gulf states have jointly called for Iran to immediately halt attacks and interference with maritime navigation, urging the unimpeded opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
