Iran said it had launched a fresh round of attacks on U.S. facilities in the Middle East on Friday, after American military forces targeted Iranian military sites.
The latest exchange of strikes threatened to heighten uncertainty around the status of the Strait of Hormuz. Tanker traffic through the narrow waterway has reportedly been disrupted once again, denting hopes that a fragile ceasefire just a few weeks ago would help restart flows.
Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas traversed the strait prior to the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, meaning that any halt to supplies could have consequences for the global economy. Inflation has crept higher in countries around the world and central banks have hinted at the need to tighten monetary policy in response.
U.S. Central Command said on Thursday evening that it had concluded a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran. CENTCOM said the attacks were aimed at further degrading Iranian military capabilities and “holding Iran accountable” for attacks on commercial shipping.
Tehran said it had retaliated with attacks on U.S. military bases in surrounding Gulf countries in the early hours of Friday, and reiterated that the strait was closed. Iranian media also reported that the fresh U.S. attacks had struck some civilian infrastructure, including five bridges and a railway station.
The latest round of hostilities stem from Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which it claims were attempting to cross the waterway in a route not designated by Tehran.
Iran also signaled earlier this week that it could push its Houthi allies in Yemen to attack shipping in another key strait in the Red Sea.
U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier in July declared a ceasefire with Iran as over, with the status of a June memorandum of understanding between the two countries remaining largely in question.
Trump threatened to attack Iran’s nuclear and energy facilities if the country did not agree to a new peace deal. Reports also suggested that the U.S. president was considering the use of ground forces to seize Iran’s Kharg island, a major oil export terminal for the country.
Source: Investing.com
