US strikes Iran as Trump revives Hormuz blockade and shipping tolls
The US struck Iranian coastal and maritime targets after restoring a Hormuz blockade. Iran then hit regional targets and tankers, pushing the oil chokepoint into a more dangerous phase.
The United States launched strikes on Iran early Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump said Washington was “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said the US would charge other ships for safe passage through the waterway, marking a sharp change from its long-held position that the strait should remain open to all without tolls.
Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and two tankers linked to the United Arab Emirates in the Strait of Hormuz. One mariner was killed and eight others were wounded. The latest exchanges came as both sides sought control of the strait, through which a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas once passed in peacetime. Benchmark Brent crude rose to a one-month high of more than USD 84 in early Tuesday trade.
The US military’s Central Command said it struck areas around Abu Musa, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chahbahar, Jask and Konarak, targeting Iranian “coastal defence systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities”. Iran acknowledged strikes around those areas, but did not immediately give details of casualties or damage.
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the US military said. Soon after the announcement, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, “We’re hitting them very hard. And it’ll continue, and we’ll see what happens. We’re knocking out all of their offensive capability and we’re controlling the straits. We’re putting the blockade back.”
Trump also said the US would seek payment for providing security in the strait. “We’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said. “We’re spending money. And so, what we’ve done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.” Later, on social media, he wrote, “We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.” He also said the US would be “reimbursed” by 20 per cent of the value of cargo to cover “any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security.” The US military said it would resume its blockade of Iranian ports at midnight local Wednesday in Dubai.
The UAE Defence Ministry said Iran fired two cruise missiles at the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah in the Strait of Hormuz. Both vessels caught fire, but the fires were put out. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility, saying the ships “ignored repeated warnings” and adding, “They chose to pass through a minefield and were subsequently targeted and disabled.”
The Emirati ministry said one Indian national was killed in the attack, while six Indians and two Ukrainians were wounded. It added, “The UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents.” Fighter jets were heard overhead in Dubai on Tuesday morning. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai said consular appointments had been cancelled through Wednesday “due to the regional security situation.”
Bahrain also came under renewed attack early Tuesday as Iran responded to the latest US airstrikes. The country sounded missile alert sirens twice and urged people to seek shelter. There was no immediate word on damage or casualties. Jordan’s military said it intercepted four missiles launched from Iran, according to a statement carried by the state-run Petra news agency.
Earlier on Monday, Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the agreement reached last month was “built to test” Iran, adding that “when you’re dealing with sleazebags (agreements) don’t mean much”. He said, “They didn’t honour the test.” Iran has said it has the right to manage traffic through the strait and possibly charge fees under the interim peace deal, a position disputed by the US. The American military and the United Nations’ International Maritime Organisation have tried to establish a route along Oman’s coast outside Iranian control, but Iran has attacked ships using that route, saying the US was violating the interim deal.
The latest strikes and counter-attacks have added to tensions around the interim peace deal, under which Washington had lifted a blockade imposed in mid-April and the strait was to be fully reopened. With the US now restoring the blockade, Iran attacking shipping and nearby states, and oil prices rising, the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz has entered a new phase.
With PTI Inputs
The United States launched strikes on Iran early Tuesday, hours after President Donald Trump said Washington was “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also said the US would charge other ships for safe passage through the waterway, marking a sharp change from its long-held position that the strait should remain open to all without tolls.
Iran responded with attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and two tankers linked to the United Arab Emirates in the Strait of Hormuz. One mariner was killed and eight others were wounded. The latest exchanges came as both sides sought control of the strait, through which a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas once passed in peacetime. Benchmark Brent crude rose to a one-month high of more than USD 84 in early Tuesday trade.
The US military’s Central Command said it struck areas around Abu Musa, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chahbahar, Jask and Konarak, targeting Iranian “coastal defence systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities”. Iran acknowledged strikes around those areas, but did not immediately give details of casualties or damage.
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the US military said. Soon after the announcement, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, “We’re hitting them very hard. And it’ll continue, and we’ll see what happens. We’re knocking out all of their offensive capability and we’re controlling the straits. We’re putting the blockade back.”
Trump also said the US would seek payment for providing security in the strait. “We’re protecting a very rich portion of the world,” he said. “We’re spending money. And so, what we’ve done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.” Later, on social media, he wrote, “We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait.” He also said the US would be “reimbursed” by 20 per cent of the value of cargo to cover “any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security.” The US military said it would resume its blockade of Iranian ports at midnight local Wednesday in Dubai.
The UAE Defence Ministry said Iran fired two cruise missiles at the tankers Mombasa and Al Bahiyah in the Strait of Hormuz. Both vessels caught fire, but the fires were put out. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility, saying the ships “ignored repeated warnings” and adding, “They chose to pass through a minefield and were subsequently targeted and disabled.”
The Emirati ministry said one Indian national was killed in the attack, while six Indians and two Ukrainians were wounded. It added, “The UAE reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, its citizens and residents.” Fighter jets were heard overhead in Dubai on Tuesday morning. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai said consular appointments had been cancelled through Wednesday “due to the regional security situation.”
Bahrain also came under renewed attack early Tuesday as Iran responded to the latest US airstrikes. The country sounded missile alert sirens twice and urged people to seek shelter. There was no immediate word on damage or casualties. Jordan’s military said it intercepted four missiles launched from Iran, according to a statement carried by the state-run Petra news agency.
Earlier on Monday, Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that the agreement reached last month was “built to test” Iran, adding that “when you’re dealing with sleazebags (agreements) don’t mean much”. He said, “They didn’t honour the test.” Iran has said it has the right to manage traffic through the strait and possibly charge fees under the interim peace deal, a position disputed by the US. The American military and the United Nations’ International Maritime Organisation have tried to establish a route along Oman’s coast outside Iranian control, but Iran has attacked ships using that route, saying the US was violating the interim deal.
The latest strikes and counter-attacks have added to tensions around the interim peace deal, under which Washington had lifted a blockade imposed in mid-April and the strait was to be fully reopened. With the US now restoring the blockade, Iran attacking shipping and nearby states, and oil prices rising, the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz has entered a new phase.
With PTI Inputs
