After Fresh Sanctions, US Launches Strikes on Over 80 Iranian Targets, Oil Prices Surge

The United States has launched a fresh wave of military strikes on more than 80 Iranian military targets, days after reimposing sanctions on Tehran’s oil exports, significantly escalating tensions in the Middle East and pushing global crude oil prices higher amid fears of supply disruptions.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes targeted over 80 locations using precision-guided munitions in response to what Washington described as Iran's attacks on commercial vessels transiting the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said US forces hit Iranian air defence systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to reduce Iran's ability to threaten international shipping through the waterway.

Washington’s claims

Washington alleged that Iranian forces recently attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan and Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity. The US described the attacks as a violation of the ceasefire and a threat to freedom of navigation.

The military action comes shortly after the US revoked Iran's oil export waiver and reinstated sanctions, a move that has intensified concerns over global energy supplies. 

Oil prices surge

Oil prices have reportedly risen sharply, with crude gaining more than 5% over two days as markets reacted to the renewed conflict and the possibility of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for nearly a fifth of the world's oil trade.

Iran condemned the strikes as an act of aggression and warned of retaliation, raising fears of further escalation in a region that remains crucial to global energy markets.