The United States carried out fresh air strikes on Iranian targets on Tuesday, in a move that could further inflame a six-month-old standoff that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed up global oil prices. The strikes came after an exchange of fire over the weekend—the first since July—and after two tankers were hit on Monday. The Strait of Hormuz is the key sea route for international crude supplies, and Iran has effectively restricted shipping there. Brent crude futures, which were already higher earlier in the day, rose again following reports of the new strikes, according to market data. US Central Command Says It Targets IRGC SitesThe US Central Command said its forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1600 GMT). It said the attacks followed what it described as attempted attacks by the IRGC on commercial shipping in the strait and on American service members in the region. Iranian state media said explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, on the northern side of the strait. Nour News reported further blasts near ports including Bandar Abbas and Chabahar on the southern coast. IRNA and other state outlets also reported explosions near Jask and Sirik, and said US forces attacked a civilian airport in Jiroft in southern Iran. A US embassy in Qatar urged Americans in the region to exercise “heightened vigilance”, adding that there could be flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption. Tehran Rejects Threats, Warns Oil Exports Will StopTehran warned it would not allow oil exports from the Gulf. It has rejected US threats of further strikes, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that retaliation would be met with new attacks at a “harder and higher” level. The US administration also signalled a potential new wave of economic pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned last week that Washington would significantly escalate sanctions on countries that do business with Iran, although the United States has not set out details. Iran has faced heavy sanctions for decades, and officials have not shown signs of backing away from their position despite repeated US threats. Scale Of Latest Hostilities UnclearThe scope and duration of the latest phase of fighting remained unclear. Iranian state-linked outlets cited an IRGC-linked spokesperson warning that the US would “regret” the new attacks. The conflict has shifted between armed exchanges and diplomatic and economic pressure. It began escalating on February 28 after US and Israeli strikes, and has since killed thousands in Iran and Lebanon, according to the memorandum framework described by both sides. Before Tuesday’s strikes, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at a regional summit in Kyrgyzstan that Tehran would respond immediately if Washington met its commitments under a June Memorandum of Understanding intended to halt the fighting. The MOU ended active hostilities but postponed difficult issues and opened a 60-day negotiation period, which ended without agreement. Since then, Iranian officials have not publicly indicated any willingness to concede. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by Iranian media as saying that if others wanted Iran not to export oil from the Persian Gulf, “no one” would be able to do so. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran that Washington was “addicted to making excessive demands” and had mistaken negotiations for imposing terms. Analysts said the ongoing tit-for-tat missile exchanges have reinforced concerns that, even without a wider “forever war”, the conflict could continue for some time. Join the discussion? 2 September 2026
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