Donald Trump ordered fresh military strikes on Iran after a third commercial vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to US Central Command, its forces struck over 80 sites across southern Iran, including air defence systems, coastal surveillance networks, anti-ship missile launchers, drone facilities and port infrastructure.
It claimed the strikes were conducted in response to attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the vital waterway.
Iran condemned the latest attacks as a “blatant aggression” and warned of a “crushing response”.
The renewed escalation rattled global energy markets, with the benchmark US crude rising more than 2.5 per cent as investors reacted to fears of supply disruptions through one of the busiest crude transit routes.
It also sparked concern that the fragile truce between Washington and Tehran was rapidly unravelling, increasing the risk of a wider regional conflict.
Bahrain sounded emergency sirens, urging residents to seek shelter, as reports emerged of explosions near Iran’s southern ports and islands.
