New US airstrikes against Iran, which has announced retaliatory strikes against American military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan and threatened to attack any vessel venturing into the Strait of Hormuz. The attacks, involving the deployment of 49 Tomahawk missiles , which the US military says targeted "Iranian military surveillance facilities, communications systems, and air defense sites across the country," were triggered after US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of obstructing negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.
"We were really close to reaching a deal, but they keep playing us, they're playing us," Trump told reporters yesterday. Today, he revealed on Fox News that senior Iranian officials called him directly to "demand a halt to the bombing." But the US, he threatened, is ready to rapidly escalate military action if Tehran doesn't soon sign an agreement to end the ongoing crisis. "We're going to bomb them mercilessly," Trump warned. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also accused Iran of "playing cat and mouse" in the negotiations. "If we have to negotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate with bombs, and we're very good at that," the Pentagon chief said. The United States and Iran had already exchanged attacks during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, despite a ceasefire that went into effect on April 8 after more than five weeks of bombing. Explosions were heard in the early hours of today on Qeshm island, in Minab, Sirik and the southern port of Bandar Abbas, Iranian media reported.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched drones against the Ali al-Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber military bases in Kuwait and the Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain. Air raid sirens were activated in Bahrain, according to the Ministry of the Interior. In Kuwait, the army announced it was engaged in "fighting against hostile aerial targets," and the Civil Aviation Authority closed the emirate's airspace. The IRGC also claimed to have launched 12 ballistic missiles against the Al-Azrak air base in Jordan, used by the United States.
Tehran is once again closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz , through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas trade normally passes. "Following the American enemy's repeated ceasefire violations, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice," the IRGC announced, as reported by Iranian state television. "No ship can leave its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Any approach to the Strait of Hormuz will be considered collaboration with the enemy," the Revolutionary Guards warned. The Iranian navy, quoted by the media, subsequently announced that "two ships attempting to illegally cross the Strait of Hormuz were hit," without providing further details. "Are you making the sacred Strait of Hormuz dangerous? We will make this region a living hell for you," threatened IRGC Air Force Commander Sardar Mousavi. Washington, which has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports, has denied blocking the strait. “Commercial vessels continue to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X.
An escalation in the Gulf continues to fuel rising oil prices. This morning, Brent crude from the North Sea gained 1.7% to $94.68 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose 2% to $91.84 a barrel.
(Unioneonline)