US strikes Iran after Trump threats over Red Sea
US missiles hit targets across Iran after President Donald Trump promised “major military punishment” against Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for expanding the Middle East war to the mouth of the Red Sea, its second major shipping point.
Two weeks after the end of a temporary ceasefire aimed at ending the war, Iranian armed forces responded by opening fire on US bases in neighboring Arab countries and warning people there that they could attack non-military buildings used by US personnel.
The Houthis, who control the north and west of Yemen, have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, which pipes millions of barrels of oil to the Red Sea every day to circumvent Iran’s almost complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The Gulf entrance has so far become the focal point of a war that has killed thousands in almost five months, soared global inflation and fueled fears of an economic crisis.
Houthi fighters struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandeb strait on Thursday, sending oil prices up seven per cent to US$100 ($A143) per barrel for the first time since May.
Sources said Pakistan is exploring a way to restart stalled negotiations between the US and Iran to end the war following pressure initiated by China.
Exploratory talks were held during Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni’s visit to Islamabad this week, his second visit in the last 10 days, three Pakistani sources said. All three sources warned that the obstacles to any negotiations with the United States remain high.
Meanwhile, Houthi attacks forced some other tankers to turn around and continue northward through the Suez Canal; potentially took a much longer route around Africa to reach Asia.
Some companies on Thursday doubled shipping insurance costs across the southern Red Sea, sources said. Yet half of the 18 ships that left Bab al-Mandeb on Thursday were carrying crude oil; among them were two Chinese supertankers.
The number of tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz fell to just one on Thursday, the lowest level since May 7.
In a statement made to the Telegram channel by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, it was stated that the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman discussed security developments and maritime transportation in the Strait of Hormuz between the two countries in a telephone conversation.
Trump said on social media that he would hold Iran responsible for any further attacks by Yemeni fighters and that “major military penalties will be imposed on Iran and, of course, the Houthis.”
He told Axios that he was considering restarting a major war against Iran. “They haven’t suffered enough yet,” the US news outlet quoted him as saying.
In its statement regarding X, Iran’s Ministry of Health said that 59 people have died and 666 people have been injured since clashes with US forces resumed in late June. Iranian media quoted Iran’s top joint military command as saying that Iran would kill one member of US forces for every Iranian killed.
The war led to the deaths of 18 US soldiers. The Pentagon said Monday that 100 soldiers have been injured since July 7 and 96 percent have returned to duty.
The Iranian military said it attacked US military equipment depots at Al-Adiri, officially known as Camp Buehring, in northern Kuwait, and US troop positions at Camp Arifjan and Camp Doha near Kuwait City. Earlier in the evening, Kuwait said its air defenses had intercepted “hostile” targets launched from Iran.
