US launches new strikes on Iran as Tehran hits back in widening conflict - Reuters

**U.S. Military Action in the Strait of Hormuz**

In the early hours of Thursday, U.S. warships and aircraft conducted a coordinated strike against Iranian rocket‑launching sites positioned along the Strait of Hormuz. The operation, described by the Pentagon as a response to “attempted attacks on commercial vessels” in the strategically vital waterway, targeted at least three mobile launch platforms that intelligence officials said were preparing to fire anti‑ship missiles. No U.S. casualties were reported, and the Department of Defense announced that the strikes successfully neutralized the immediate threat without escalating to a broader engagement.

**Iran’s Counter‑Response and Political Rhetoric**

Within minutes of the American offensive, Iranian forces fired a salvo of rockets toward the same stretch of the Strait, an action Tehran framed as “retaliation for unwarranted aggression.” Iranian state media quoted senior military officials asserting that the rockets were intended to “defend our sovereignty” and warned that any further U.S. incursions would be met with “proportionate” force. In a televised address, former President Donald Trump, who continues to influence Republican discourse on Middle‑East policy, warned that the United States was embarking on “the biggest attack Iran has ever seen” and cautioned that Tehran would “regret” its decisions.

**Regional and Global Implications**

The exchange marks the first direct U.S. strike against Iranian assets in weeks and raises the specter of a wider regional conflagration. Diplomatic channels in Washington, Doha and Tehran have been activated in an effort to de‑escalate, with the United Nations urging restraint from all parties. Analysts at CNBC and the BBC note that the confrontation threatens to disrupt global oil shipments through the Strait—a chokepoint that handles roughly a fifth of worldwide petroleum flow—and could draw in allied forces from the Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel and NATO. As both sides exchange threats, the international community watches closely for signs of further escalation or a negotiated cease‑fire.