Iran said it has struck US military targets in the Middle East region in response to US strikes around the Strait of Hormuz as tensions over the key waterway strain a peace deal between the two nations.
Background
The US military conducted strikes on Friday against Iranian military targets around the Strait of Hormuz. The US said the strikes were in response to an Iranian attack on a commercial vessel near the Strait of Hormuz.
Bahrain, which hosts a US military base, reported Iranian drone attacks on its territory early Saturday morning. The country’s foreign affairs ministry condemned the strikes as “a flagrant violation of Bahrain’s sovereignty.”
A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck Saturday by an “unidentified projectile,” according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The vessel sustained damage but all crew members were uninjured.
Escalation
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC), which is overseen by the US Navy, raised the threat level in the strait to “substantial” on Saturday. The US is pushing back at Iran’s control over the waterway by expanding a route through the Strait of Hormuz near Oman.
Vice President JD Vance said Friday evening that “violence will be met with violence.” The recent strikes have once again destabilized the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
