The United States has escalated its military actions against Iran, conducting strikes in northern areas of the country and disabling a ship accused of attempting to breach a naval blockade. The intensified operations come as Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait in the early hours of Thursday.
These exchanges follow days of back-and-forth strikes between the U.S. and Iran across the Middle East, coupled with renewed threats to the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials report that U.S. strikes have resulted in over 35 deaths and more than 300 wounded. This latest round of violence has seen strikes reach areas around Iran’s capital, Tehran, for the first time.
Following the initial U.S. and Israeli war declaration on Iran on February 28, Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, leading to a surge in global prices for oil, fertilizer, and other goods. This action granted Iran significant leverage in negotiations. The rising prices present a challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the November elections. The U.S. has faced difficulties in reopening the waterway, prompting Trump to reimpose a naval blockade on Wednesday.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf stated that Iran is prepared for a broader military confrontation if the U.S. fails to adhere to the terms of an interim deal. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has also threatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East in response to the blockade, asserting that "The export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one."
President Trump expressed that Iran is amenable to a peace deal, though he offered no further details. "They don’t like what we’re doing, and they do want to settle. We’ll find out whether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off," Trump said on Wednesday.
In a separate development, Trump announced that Tehran had made a goodwill gesture by releasing an American citizen who had been detained in Iran since 2024. Human rights lawyer Jared Genser identified the individual as his client, Dena Karari, a U.S.-Iranian citizen and head of a nonprofit charged with espionage. The release had not been immediately acknowledged by Iran, and Karari's case was not previously public.
Strikes Expand Northward and Target Shipping
Early Thursday, U.S. strikes reportedly hit areas around Tehran and Semnan province, a region known for Iran's ballistic missile production and space program, according to state media. On Wednesday, U.S. forces resumed daylight strikes, increasing the tempo of operations. U.S. Central Command confirmed an attack on Greater Tunb Island, a strategic location in the Strait of Hormuz, targeting Iranian defense and missile sites.
Separately, the U.S. military engaged the Curacao-flagged oil tanker Belma as it was en route to Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military stated that after the vessel "ignored multiple warnings," an American aircraft disabled it by firing a missile into the ship's smokestack.
On Wednesday, another U.S. strike targeted a barracks belonging to Iran’s 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Sistan and Baluchestan province, according to Iranian state television. The report indicated that at least 13 missiles were fired in the attack, resulting in seven fatalities, including conscript and career soldiers, and several wounded.
Regional Retaliation and Economic Impact
Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait on Thursday were confirmed by authorities in those countries, which host U.S. forces. No immediate reports of damage or casualties from these attacks were available.
The current conflict is largely centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint. The U.S. has been challenged in its efforts to reopen the strait since Iran initially closed it. While an interim deal allowed some ships to transit a U.S.-monitored route near Oman, Iran's recent attacks on vessels using this passage have led to the ongoing escalation.
Experts suggest that reopening the strait by force would necessitate a significantly larger naval presence, potentially requiring tens of thousands of ground troops. The imposition of a naval blockade is another strategy being employed to pressure Iran. Meanwhile, oil prices have seen an increase, with Brent crude trading above $85 a barrel on Thursday, a rise of over 15% since before the war, though still below the peak of nearly $120 reached during the height of the conflict.