The US military expands strikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets

The US military has launched a new round of strikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guard targets, focusing on areas around the Strait of Hormuz; the US Central Command stated that the actions are a response to recent Iranian attacks on merchant ships and threats to US forces in the region.

Iranian media reported explosions in several locations around Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and the Strait of Hormuz; Tasnim, associated with the Revolutionary Guard, reported that strikes hit targets near Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas. The US has not publicly disclosed a complete list of targets, types of munitions, casualty assessments, or the duration of operations, so the specific extent of damage from the "bombing of important energy hub ports" cannot be independently confirmed.

Prior to this escalation, the US military had conducted limited precision strikes on two Iranian rocket launch facilities on Larak Island. The US claimed that the Revolutionary Guard was preparing to launch rockets carrying mines into the Strait of Hormuz; Iranian media reported that this strike resulted in at least three deaths, two of whom were reported to belong to the Revolutionary Guard Navy.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard subsequently claimed to have launched ballistic missiles at two bases in Jordan housing US troops, with the Jordanian military stating that it intercepted missiles entering its airspace; there were also reports of Iranian drones entering UAE airspace and being intercepted. There is a gap between Iranian claims regarding attacks on the Bahrain US military base and independent public confirmation; as of now, there has been no confirmation from the US Central Command or Bahraini officials of substantial damage to the base.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone using surface-to-air missiles, stating that the wreckage fell into the Gulf waters; this claim has not been publicly confirmed by the US military. Meanwhile, shipping safety agencies and vessel tracking organizations reported that two supertankers carrying Saudi crude oil were struck by unidentified projectiles while leaving the Strait of Hormuz: the Bahri-operated Sidr was hit northeast of Khasab, Oman, and the Sinokor-operated Senegal Prosperity was struck by three projectiles east of the same area. The attribution of the attacks has not been independently confirmed.

In market mechanisms, buyers are hedging against risks of disrupted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, declining Gulf oil exports, and regional war spillover, with funds first flowing into Brent crude, gold, defense, missile defense, maritime security, and war insurance; sellers are shippers, insurers, and regional capital bearing risks related to tankers, shipping routes, refining materials, aviation fuel, and Gulf assets. The attacks on the two supertankers will raise insurance rates and rerouting costs, and even without a long-term blockade, will reduce the capacity willing to transit the Strait immediately; oil prices have risen to a five-week high due to concerns over conflict and supply disruptions.

Source: Public Information