Fresh tensions have erupted between the United States and Iran after the U.S. military launched new strikes targeting what it described as an Iranian drone operation threatening American forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a U.S. official quoted by Reuters, American forces shot down four Iranian attack drones and destroyed a drone control station in Bandar Abbas that was allegedly preparing to launch another drone.
The official said the strikes were “purely defensive” and intended to preserve the ceasefire that came into effect in early April following months of conflict between both nations.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Tasnim news agency claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy had opened fire on a U.S. oil tanker attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, forcing the vessel to retreat.
Iranian sources also alleged that the U.S. later launched strikes on open ground near Bandar Abbas, though no casualties or damage were reported.
The latest developments come amid rising uncertainty over a possible agreement to restore normal shipping activity through the strategic waterway.
US President Donald Trump dismissed reports aired on Iranian state television claiming Tehran and Oman were close to an agreement that would restore commercial shipping routes to pre-war levels.
Trump insisted no country would control the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as international waters while also issuing stern remarks directed at Oman during a cabinet meeting.
Oil prices, which had fallen earlier in the day, rebounded sharply following reports of the new U.S. military action, with U.S. crude futures rising close to two per cent in early Asian trading.
The three-month conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel has already killed thousands and sent global energy prices soaring since fighting erupted on February 28.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, previously handling around 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas traffic before the conflict intensified.
Despite repeated claims from Trump that a deal is near, major sticking points remain unresolved, including Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, military presence in the region and control over the vital waterway.
