US-Iran Conflict Intensifies: 11th Night of Strikes, Nuclear Site Threats Emerge
The United States military has conducted strikes on Iran for the eleventh consecutive night, targeting locations in the southern and western regions of the country. President Donald Trump stated that Iran is 'desperate' for negotiations and threatened to strike a suspected Iranian nuclear site 'very heavily'. The conflict has expanded beyond the US and Iran, with Kuwait reporting fires at a desalination plant and power stations after Iranian strikes, while Bahrain and Jordan also faced attacks.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced that two tankers taking an 'unsafe route' through the Strait of Hormuz caught fire. Yemen's Houthi rebels declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, further straining global energy supplies. Two tankers carrying Saudi crude reversed course in the Red Sea on Tuesday following Houthi threats.
Regarding the nuclear threat, President Trump indicated that the US would likely soon strike the area of Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified underground site believed to be linked to Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran responded that any attack on its nuclear facilities would be considered an expansion of the war. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress that the war has cost $37.5 billion so far, though experts believe the actual figure is likely higher, as he and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine sought additional funding from lawmakers.
US Central Command stated that it struck Iranian 'military targets' late Tuesday, marking the 11th straight night of attacks. Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan reported intercepting aerial attacks on Tuesday. Two Saudi crude tankers reversed course in the Red Sea after Houthi threats. President Trump said the Houthis had not yet closed the Bab el-Mandeb strait but warned the US would act if they did.
Oil prices rose over 2%, with Brent crude above $91 a barrel. In early trading on Wednesday, Brent crude futures rose 0.55% to $91.51, while US West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 0.36% to $84.64. This follows oil settling at a five-week high on Tuesday after US strikes on Iran and Iranian attacks on US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
In related developments, a congressional rules panel has refused to allow a floor vote on an amendment targeting deeper US-Israeli military cooperation, according to Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. Massie stated on social media that no debate or vote had been permitted on the section covering integration of US military technology and supply chains with Israel's. Khanna said lawmakers were not given a chance to vote on stopping the two countries from co-producing weapons, adding that the next step would be to push for removing the provision during House-Senate conference negotiations.
