US Military Strikes Iran After Ceasefire Ends

The developments mark a sharp escalation in a five-month conflict, coming just hours after the U.S. carried out another round of strikes intended to curb Iranian threats to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Central Command Targeting and Regional Strikes

United States Central Command executed a powerful two-hour bombing raid that struck dozens of military command centers, along with missile and drone facilities, radar systems, and surveillance sites. In addition to targeting air-defense systems, military officials reported hitting over 60 small boats operated by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The operations followed Iranian attacks on merchant vessels off the coast of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz After US Strikes Military Sites

Iranian state media reported explosions across several key locations, including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Bushehr—the site of Iran’s nuclear power plant complex—as well as the island of Qeshm in the Strait of Hormuz, where local authorities reported three deaths and two injuries. Earlier in the week, joint operations involving U.S. and Saudi forces targeted Iran-backed militias in eastern Iraq, marking the first time Riyadh publicly joined military strikes alongside Washington.

Although he suggested that U.S. representatives could continue talking, he cast doubt on their utility, remarking that negotiators can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time.

Oil Prices Plunge as U.S. and Iran Pause Military Strikes

Iranian officials responded with sharp defiance. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf posted on X that The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. Similarly, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi characterized Trump’s remarks as an admission of policy failure rather than a show of strength.

Global Economic Fallout and Oil Market Spikes

The renewed conflict immediately rattled global markets, reversing a recent price plunge that had occurred when the U.S. temporarily halted airstrikes. Brent crude futures jumped more than 8% to push the benchmark well above $90 a barrel, marking one of the sharpest pricing spikes of the five-month war. Analysts and market observers remain concerned that prolonged fighting could jeopardize energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas normally passes.

US and Saudi Arabia Launch Precision Strikes on Iran-Aligned Groups in Iraq

Adding to regional maritime security worries, a British maritime security firm reported that a drone struck a U.S.-owned gas storage tanker at Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Damietta. While Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry confirmed a fire at the facility, official statements did not confirm a drone attack or assign immediate responsibility, leaving the incident under observation as tensions spread beyond the Persian Gulf.