The United States has escalated its airstrike campaign against Iran, particularly targeting bridges in Iran's southern Hormozgan province, including in Bandar Khamir. These strikes are part of President Donald Trump's strategy to pressure Tehran into easing its hold on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which a significant portion of global oil and natural gas once passed. The U.S. has also reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to disrupt crude oil shipments. Iranian state media reported that these overnight strikes into Friday killed at least seven people.
Iran has retaliated with missile attacks against U.S.-allied nations in the Middle East and warned of further escalation. The conflict has seen days of reciprocal attacks, with Iranian officials claiming U.S. strikes have resulted in over 35 deaths and more than 300 injuries. The interim ceasefire established last month has collapsed, leading to a renewed intensification of hostilities. Despite a growing trend of shipping energy through pipelines, this infrastructure is insufficient to offset the decline in shipping through the strait.
The expanded U.S. strikes are part of a broader "shaping operation" aimed at degrading Iranian military capabilities, according to U.S. officials, potentially setting the stage for future actions if needed. Trump has repeatedly threatened to target Iranian power stations and bridges unless Iran resumes negotiations. In response, a spokesperson for Iran's military, Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, warned that Iran could launch widespread attacks on regional infrastructure if the U.S. follows through on these threats.
The ongoing conflict has significantly impacted global energy markets. Week-to-week cargo shipments through the Strait of Hormuz dropped by nearly a quarter at the beginning of the month, even before the latest surge in attacks, according to maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Some oil shippers are attempting to transit the strait with their location devices off, while many others are avoiding the passage entirely. The price for Brent crude oil, the international standard, traded above $85 a barrel on Thursday, representing a more than 15% increase from its pre-war price, though it remains below the peak of nearly $120 reached during the height of the conflict.
The U.S. military's Central Command announced that its forces have redirected three commercial vessels attempting to bypass the blockade, disabled one non-compliant vessel, and boarded another to ensure full compliance. In an earlier separate incident, Iran initiated renewed fighting last week by striking ships in the strait, causing a dangerous fire on a Qatari tanker. Iran has also signaled its potential to instruct Houthi allies in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait at the mouth of the Red Sea if U.S. threats against Iranian infrastructure are carried out.
