US and Iran Trade Heavy Strikes Near Strait of Hormuz — 4 Killed After 'Large and Powerful' Attacks
The United States launched fresh military strikes on Iran near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump calling the operation “large and powerful” and saying it was a direct response to Iranian attempts to lay mines in the vital oil shipping lane [232858][232855]. Iranian officials reported at least four people killed and dozens injured, saying a wedding party was hit in the attacks [232773]. Iran has responded by firing on U.S. military bases in the region, marking the first direct exchange of fire between the two nations in over a month [231194][231533].
The strikes targeted Iranian rocket launchers and positions near the strait, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes daily [231936][231533]. Explosions were also reported at an airport in southern Iran [232855]. The U.S. military said its strikes were defensive, aimed at preventing an imminent attack on commercial shipping after mines were discovered in the area [231936][232773].
Iran has warned that the United States will “regret” the latest attacks [232858]. No official casualty figures have been released by Washington, and the exact scale of the counterstrikes remains unclear [232794][231549]. The escalation comes after weeks of relative calm and has raised fresh concerns about global oil supplies, with crude prices climbing to $90 a barrel [231551][231406].
The exchange shatters a fragile pause in fighting that began in late July, and negotiations over reopening the strait have stalled, with both sides rejecting each other’s proposals [231194]. Shipping companies have been advised to exercise heightened caution as authorities investigate separate incidents involving tankers hit by unknown projectiles in the area [232553][228930].
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