The United States has initiated further strikes against Iran, marking the first direct exchange of fire in a month. These strikes were launched after the US detected Iran's plans to deploy fresh mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military stated these actions were in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping and American service members in the Middle East, with President Trump vowing to "hit Iran hard."
In response to the US attack on Larak Island, where Washington claimed to have struck Iranian launchers, Iran launched missiles at two US air bases in Jordan and US military bases in the United Arab Emirates. Iranian media reported that three people were killed in the US attack on Larak Island. This new flare-up follows a period where the conflict had largely shifted to an economic standoff through sanctions and blockades.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened new sanctions on Iran, predicting that the Strait of Hormuz, which previously accounted for one-fifth of the world's seaborne energy supply, would soon become a "worthless piece of water" as it is bypassed by other oil pipelines. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) forecasts that the US-Iran conflict will financially impact UK families, reducing average household spending power by £2,400 over the next two years due to surging inflation and sluggish wage growth.
President Trump is reportedly considering a new wave of strikes to prevent Tehran from reconstituting its radar and missile capabilities used to attack ships. The conflict, now in its seventh month, has already cost the US military billions of dollars without achieving stated objectives, while rising energy prices from Iran's closure of the strait have negatively affected voters. This latest escalation comes despite previous indications from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the US was moving away from strikes toward economic pressure.
