The United States initiated a new round of airstrikes targeting Iran early Monday after announcing the death of an additional American service member. This action came in response to Friday's attack in Jordan, which killed two US troops and wounded four others. On Saturday, a third service member was killed in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone. These strikes, part of a campaign now in its second week, targeted Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, aiming to degrade its ability to control the Strait of Hormuz and punish its forces.
Simultaneously, Iran responded by firing missiles toward Jordan, raising concerns about the conflict expanding into neighboring Israel. Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain activated air defenses for incoming Iranian drones and missiles, with Kuwait's power and water desalination plant experiencing a second attack in two days. The US military stated its strikes hit Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites.
The escalating tensions have significantly impacted global oil markets. Benchmark Brent crude oil rose above $90 a barrel on Monday, while it had already neared $88 per barrel on Friday, marking its biggest weekly advance since April. Analysts, such as Giovanni Staunovo of UBS Group AG, noted the tightening oil market due to repeated strikes on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a drop in tankers exiting the Gulf and raising concerns among participants about energy infrastructure attacks. The US has also reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, redirecting five ships and disabling one since.
The conflict, which began on February 28, has now resulted in 17 US service member deaths and over 430 wounded. Iranian authorities reported at least 50 deaths and 517 injuries from the latest US strikes, though they provided no details on material losses. The US military also found unidentified remains at the Jordan attack site, which are being examined to determine if they belong to the missing service member. Iran's atomic energy agency reported that US strikes targeted the construction site of a planned nuclear power plant in the southwest, although the International Atomic Energy Agency stated the site was in very early stages of construction with no nuclear material present during its last visit.
This cycle of attacks has led both the US and Iran closer to an all-out war, with a previous interim deal designed to end fighting having collapsed and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz largely stalled. Both nations have targeted civilian infrastructure, and US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iranian power stations and bridges to compel Tehran to loosen its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which historically accounted for one-fifth of global oil supplies.
