TEHRAN/WASHINGTON — Iran has “warned the United States of ‘serious consequences’ following a fresh wave of airstrikes reportedly ordered by President Donald Trump, while insisting that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would only remain open ‘on our terms’ as tensions between the two countries escalated.”
The warning came after “the United States launched fresh strikes on Iranian military targets, saying the operation was intended to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran allegedly attacked merchant vessels in the waterway.” Iranian officials “condemned the attacks as a violation of their sovereignty and vowed retaliation, declaring that future navigation through the world’s most important oil transit route would be subject to conditions determined by Tehran.”
The latest escalation has “effectively shattered a fragile ceasefire that had held for several weeks, with President Trump declaring the truce ‘over’ and warning that further military action could follow if Iran continued targeting commercial shipping and U.S. interests in the Gulf.”
In response, “Iran reportedly launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, marking one of the most significant military confrontations between the two countries in recent months.” The U.S. military said “it had struck dozens of Iranian military facilities, including missile depots and naval infrastructure linked to operations around the Strait of Hormuz.”
The Strait of Hormuz is “regarded as one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints, with roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passing through the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to international markets.” The renewed hostilities “immediately rattled global energy markets, sending crude oil prices higher amid fears that prolonged disruption of shipping could affect global fuel supplies.” Several international shipping companies “are reportedly reassessing vessel movements through the strait because of the deteriorating security situation.”
Analysts warn that “sustained disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could have far-reaching consequences for oil-importing and oil-exporting nations alike.” For Nigeria, “higher crude oil prices could boost export earnings and government revenue, although prolonged instability may also increase inflationary pressures through higher import and shipping costs.”
The United Nations and several Gulf states “have urged both Washington and Tehran to exercise restraint and return to diplomatic engagement to prevent the crisis from escalating into a wider regional conflict.”