US and Iran Trade Strikes in Strait of Hormuz as Oil Tankers Hit, Mines Cleared Under Cover of Darkness
The United States and Iran have exchanged direct military fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, with Washington striking Iranian rocket launchers and oil tankers while Tehran retaliated against US-linked targets and commercial vessels, marking a major escalation in the seven-month conflict.
The latest round of fighting began after US forces observed Iranian units preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the strait, a critical waterway that carries roughly 20% of the world’s oil [231694][231476]. American missiles and drones struck Iranian launchers on an island in the waterway, breaking a month-long lull in direct clashes [231194][231406]. In response, Iran fired missiles at US military bases in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait [231694][234169].
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy also struck three oil tankers in the strait, with Tehran warning that “any suspicious movement” by US-linked ships would be met with force [235952]. Saudi Arabia confirmed that two Filipino crew members were killed when an Iranian attack hit one of its supertankers, the Sidr, while passing through the waterway [233865].
The US military confirmed it attacked at least three Iranian oil tankers near Kharg Island, a strategic hub through which about 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports pass [236031]. US Central Command said an aircraft carrier and missile destroyer “successfully avoided multiple Iranian attacks” and that no American personnel were injured [236031]. Iranian reports say the US strikes killed 19 people, including four at a wedding [236031][232773].
Following the strikes, oil prices rose sharply as both nations asserted control over the strait [231406][235933]. The US Navy has also been conducting covert night-time operations using divers and underwater robots to locate and dispose of mines planted in the waterway, according to the Navy’s own account [236248]. Officials described the missions as “risky” but did not specify who planted the mines [236248].
President Donald Trump described the US operation as “large and powerful” attacks, while Vice President JD Vance downplayed the conflict, saying he “wouldn’t call it a war” even as the campaign enters its seventh month [232794][235589].