US Strikes on Iranian Targets Enter 12th Night Amid Strait of Hormuz Crisis
The United States military announced on Wednesday that it was conducting a 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets, as both sides increasingly target civilian infrastructure in the ongoing conflict over the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command stated that the attacks aim to 'further degrade Iran's ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,' as Washington seeks to regain control over the strategic waterway and restore international shipping.
President Donald Trump warned earlier Wednesday that the US would destroy one Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran attacks a ship in the strait. 'From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,' Trump wrote on social media.
The continued airstrikes come as diplomatic efforts show little public progress, with both sides entrenched over the waterway that remains largely closed due to Iranian attacks. The conflict threatens further global economic disruption and rising fuel prices ahead of US midterm elections.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that his country would adopt an 'eye for an eye' defence doctrine. 'Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,' he posted on social media.
The US carried out a previous wave of strikes overnight into Wednesday, with air defences opening fire over Tehran. Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city near Israel, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Both sides have sought leverage by targeting civilian infrastructure. Iran has responded to US attacks by striking energy infrastructure and desalination plants that provide drinking water in neighbouring Gulf countries. International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is used for military purposes. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried the attacks as 'unacceptable' on Tuesday.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has jolted the global economy. A new threat by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea puts another trade chokepoint at risk.
Trump visited Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for the arrival of the remains of four US service members. His defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, estimated in a Senate hearing that the US had spent $37.5 billion on the war so far.
Benchmark Brent crude oil rose above $93 a barrel, up from less than $72 earlier this month. Gasoline prices are also climbing.
Iran says it has the right to manage traffic and potentially charge fees in the strait, which was open to all before the war. It has attacked ships using a route overseen by US forces. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, appeared to brush off Trump's threats: 'If our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe, and the security of the strait is in the absence of American forces. We have repeatedly said that the situation of the strait will not return to prewar conditions.'
Jordan's military reported intercepting a projectile, but details remain unclear.
