Iran Retaliates Against US Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran have launched fresh attacks on each other for a second consecutive day in the escalating conflict around the Strait of Hormuz. The US military claimed it struck around 90 Iranian military targets, including naval bases, drone facilities, and missile depots along the Iranian coast. In retaliation, Iran targeted several US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Iranian state media reported that three people were killed in the US strikes on Ahvaz. Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, asserted that the Strait of Hormuz would only be reopened under an arrangement dictated by Tehran, warning that further American attacks would be met with severe consequences. US President Donald Trump stated the strikes were a direct response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the strait, vowing that any further aggression would lead to a much stronger response. The International Maritime Organization reported that nearly 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the area, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for maximum restraint. Brent crude oil prices surged past US$80 per barrel amid the heightened tensions.