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Strikes, tankers, blockade
The United States launched more strikes against Iran at President Donald Trump’s direction, with U.S. Central Command saying the third consecutive night of strikes began at 4:45 p.m. ET, and Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas and on the islands of Kish, Qeshm and Abu Musa.
In the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian missiles struck two UAE tankers in Omani territorial waters, killing one crew member, the UAE Defense Ministry said, and the tankers were named as al-Bahiya and Mombasa with fires brought under control.
Trump said the U.S. will resume its naval blockade of ships going to and from Iranian ports at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, while CNN reported global oil prices surged more than 9% on the news.
The Guardian reported Centcom said, “These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” as the U.S. moved to impose a fee plan for safe passage.
The BBC also reported that the United States said navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is “normal,” even as Iranian official media said more than ten projectiles fell on Qeshm Island.
Trump’s words, Iran’s response
Trump previewed the attacks in a radio interview, telling conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight, and we’re going to hit them hard tomorrow,” as Centcom said the strikes were continuing.
ABC News reported that Trump said the U.S. would have Iran “under control very quickly,” while also saying the U.S. was “attacking them tonight” and “taking on all of their capability for anything having to do with the strait, with the Hormuz Strait.”
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the American military attacks and warned neighboring countries not to provide support, saying, “After only 25 days since the signing of the war-ending agreement, the United States has publicly violated almost all provisions of that agreement.”
CNN Arabic reported the ministry accused Washington of committing “some of the gravest war crimes” by attacking transportation infrastructure and shipping vessels, and it warned that any source of attacks would be considered a legitimate target for “defensive strikes.”
The Guardian added that Trump’s tolling plan followed his announcement that the U.S. would reinstate its maritime blockade, with the paper noting the administration had previously insisted the waterway should remain open to all without tolls.
What’s at stake next
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz’s status intensified as the U.S. said it would charge a 20% fee to cover “any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” while the Guardian described the tolling plan as a new pressure point after earlier insistence on no tolls.
“Several projectiles fell on Qeshm Island in Iran's Hormozgan Province, and the United States says that navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is 'normal”
CBS News reported Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until “stability and calm are restored,” while the U.S. said it would “keep” the strait and “probably run it,” and it tied the fee to protection of shipping.
The UAE Defense Ministry said Iranian cruise missiles targeted two UAE tankers, killing one crew member and injuring eight, and the UAE Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as “a direct threat to the stability of the region and its peoples, as well as to global energy security.”
AP News said the U.S. military began another round of strikes Monday and that the U.S. would resume its blockade of Iranian ports on Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT, escalating a struggle for control over the waterway after mutual attacks.
In parallel, the BBC reported UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the United States and Iran to stop escalation and resume talks, with his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric saying, “These attacks must stop.”
