The US military said it had carried out 13 overnight strikes on targets in Iran, with Iranian state media reporting that four people were killed and five others injured, the BBC reports.
US President Donald Trump has said he will use frozen Iranian assets held by the US to pay for any damage to ships, cargo or anything related to them. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called Trump’s threat a provocative precedent.
The latest US strikes follow an attack by Tehran-backed Yemeni Houthis on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, and growing concerns about the growing threat to international shipping. Oil prices have also risen again.
Iranian state media reported explosions at key military and commercial sites in the south of the country, including two port cities. Trump has previously vowed to severely punish Iran in response to attacks by Tehran and the Houthis. The US military said it carried out the strikes to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping in regional waters. The targets included Iranian military command centers, drone depots, communications networks, coast guard facilities and the navy.
As the US seeks to regain control of the Strait of Hormuz,
concerns are growing that the Tehran-backed Houthis will pose a new threat to shipping in the Red Sea.
As a result, crude oil prices have again risen above 100 dollars a barrel. As tensions in the region continue to rise, Trump said that damage to ships and cargoes will be compensated using frozen Iranian funds, and the amount could be significant. Iran’s foreign minister responded by saying that those who celebrate the gains from such assets should also remember that if a government normalizes confiscation, no one’s assets are safe. Araghchi added that the chaos that has ensued will be neither pretty nor peaceful.
The US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding in June to halt hostilities and resume shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with a target of reaching an agreement to end the war within 60 days. However, three weeks later, Trump announced that the ceasefire was over.
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