The United States has launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports in retaliation for a series of attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz.
“This is punishment,” a U.S. official told CNN. “This is not going to end anytime soon.”
The latest escalation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with world leaders at the NATO Summit in Turkey, where security in the Strait of Hormuz is expected to be one of the key topics on the agenda.
According to RKS News, here is what has happened:
U.S. Response: American officials said the latest strikes were a direct response to what they described as Iran’s attacks on innocent commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A U.S. official stated that Iranian authorities are fully aware of the consequences of such actions but continue to carry them out.
The same official also emphasized that the U.S. military response was not proportional, indicating that Washington deliberately chose a stronger response than the attacks it was answering.
Impact Inside Iran: Explosions were reported in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as on Qeshm Island, according to Iranian state media. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that several people were injured by shrapnel during the strike on the port facilities in Sirik.
Iranian President Returns: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is returning to Tehran from Iraq, according to IRIB. He had traveled to the Iraqi city of Najaf to attend the multi-day funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose body arrived there on Tuesday.
Oil Sanctions Reimposed: Iran condemned the renewed U.S. sanctions on its oil exports, calling the move a clear violation of the memorandum of understanding reached between the two countries last month. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it holds the U.S. government fully responsible for the consequences of what it described as a breach of its commitments.
U.S. Defense Secretary’s Visit: Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to make his first official visit to Israel on Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the matter. It remains unclear whether the overnight strikes on Iran will affect those travel plans.
