Iran has threatened to block further trade routes in the region as the United States launches new attacks on military targets.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would block the Strait of Hormuz until the United States ends its aggression. It also threatened to close oil and gas export channels to other regions.
It came as follows The US military’s Central Command (Centcom) said it struck Iran on Wednesday morning, following another operation overnight. The Iranian military also said it had diverted two ships that were trying to pass through newly restored Iranian port blockades.
The ongoing hostilities between the United States and Iran have highlighted the strategic importance of the strait to the global economy.
The attack also virtually halted tanker traffic on the vital shipping route, sending oil prices soaring.
Centcom said in a statement that Wednesday morning’s attack “further undermines Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Centcom officials added that the 90-minute waves were used to target Iran’s coastal defenses and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump vowed to attack Iranian bridges and power plants next week if Tehran does not return to talks.
“I will save the energy goals for last, but ultimately we will achieve them,” Trump said in a Special Report interview with Brett Bayer that aired Tuesday night.
