US and Iran Trade Fire in Strait of Hormuz; Trump Warns of More Action

The United States and Iran have clashed directly for the first time in a month. Washington says it fired missiles and drones at Iranian rocket launchers on an island in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran targeted US military bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The US acted after observing that Iran was preparing to lay new mines in the strait, according to American officials. The strait is a critical waterway. Before the conflict, it carried about one-fifth of the world’s seaborne energy supply. President Donald Trump threatened further action on Monday. The US is trying to weaken Iran’s control over shipping in the area. Washington claims that repeated US strikes on Iranian missile launchers and radars have already loosened Tehran’s grip on the waterway.