The United States has launched another wave of strikes against Iran, with the U.S. President Donald Trump announcing the naval blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz will resume, along with a 20% charge for commercial shippers heading through the waterway.
According to U.S. Central Command, the strikes were launched at 4:45 p.m. ET on Monday, with the U.S. military saying it will continue to impose a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices soared after Trump's announcement, with West Texas Intermediate futures shooting up 9.4% to settle at around $78 a barrel, the highest in nearly a month, while Brent crude closed above $83.
The U.S. military said it will resume its naval blockade of ships heading to and from Iranian ports on Tuesday at 4 p.m., with CENTCOM saying its forces will "enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas."
Iran's joint military command has said it will not allow the United States to intervene in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, with any attempt by the American military to arrange transit through the waterway outside the paths designated by Tehran and without coordination with the Iranian military will be met with strong resistance.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said Washington and Tehran had a deal in place but Iran had broken it, adding that the U.S. would probably take over the Strait of Hormuz and should be reimbursed for controlling the waterway.
The recent escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran comes after Iran claimed responsibility for attacking American military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as hitting spots in Oman and Jordan, in retaliation for a fresh round of strikes from the United States.
The United Arab Emirates has said two of its tankers were targeted by Iranian cruise missiles, with one Indian crew member killed and eight others injured in the attack.
Israel has continued its attacks against Iranian artillery fire in southern Lebanon, despite a reported ceasefire and ongoing talks between Lebanon and Israel.
Bahrain's military has accused Iran of targeting civilians with its latest attacks on the country, after Tehran said it had struck U.S. military facilities and infrastructure in the country hours earlier.
Jordan said it had intercepted and downed four missiles from Iran, while Kuwait's military said it had intercepted "hostile aerial targets" in its airspace.
The U.S. launched an hourslong wave of strikes against Iran on Sunday night, with CENTCOM saying it hit dozens of Iranian military targets in its latest strikes.
