The United States attacked Iran early Sunday morning over an Iranian strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that set the container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it. Iran responded with attacks targeting several countries in the Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman.
US Strikes Target Iranian Military Sites
The U.S. military’s Central Command said it hit some 140 targets in Sunday’s strikes, far more than in the two previous rounds of attacks, and went after missile and drone launch sites, ammunition dumps, communication equipment, and other sites. The US Defense Secretary stated that Iran made a poor choice and now they pay.
The US has launched three rounds of airstrikes targeting Iran in the last week over Iranian attacks on ships heading through the strait using a route seeking to avoid the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters. Iran retaliated by attacking nations in the region hosting US military forces, while insisting it alone must control the strait and potentially charge vessels for traveling through it.
Iran’s Grip on the Strait
About a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the strait before the war began. Iran’s grip on it during the war led to a global energy crisis, though oil prices have sharply dropped since wartime highs of $120 a barrel.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman were attacked by Iran, with missile alerts sounding across several Gulf Arab nations early Sunday morning. Qatar’s military said it intercepted incoming Iranian fire, with explosions heard in the neighboring United Arab Emirates.
Original reporting: Richardson, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
