U.S. Strikes Iranian Military Sites Near Strait of Hormuz; Iran Retaliates

The United States launched air strikes on Iranian military targets along the southern coast and near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday evening. U.S. Central Command said the operation used fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels, struck dozens of sites, and ended at 10 p.m.

EDT. Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, Hengam, Sirik, and Bushehr, with air-defense systems activated in those areas. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched attacks on U.S.

Military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, claiming damage to the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, a logistics hub in Kuwait, aircraft shelters, and several MQ-9 drones. Jordan’s military reported intercepting three Iranian ballistic missiles over its airspace.

The U.S. resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports at 8 p.m. GMT Tuesday, with twenty-one U.S. naval vessels operating in the region, according to U.S. Central Command. Brent crude rose to $86.19 per barrel early Wednesday from near $70 before the escalation.

President Donald Trump stated that attacks on Iran would continue until he decided otherwise, that energy targets would be struck last, and that the U.S. had warned Tehran to return to negotiations. The U.S.

Treasury announced it had frozen more than $130 million by sanctioning cryptocurrency wallets linked to Iran’s central bank. The exchange follows a June memorandum of understanding that extended an April ceasefire and scheduled talks to end the war that began February 28.