Global energy markets have been thrown into fresh volatility after the United States launched an intensive wave of airstrikes against Iranian military installations, prompting a swift retaliatory response from Tehran against neighbouring Gulf states. The military escalation has severely undermined a tenuous interim ceasefire designed to end the wider conflict in the Persian Gulf, sparking fears of long-term disruptions to vital global fuel lanes.
The renewed hostilities began shortly after US President Donald Trump declared that recent Iranian operations targeting commercial vessels within the Strait of Hormuz had effectively invalidated the fragile truce. Washington had already conducted an initial round of strikes against Iranian coastal assets on Wednesday following maritime incidents off the coast of Oman, but Thursday’s military exchanges proved far more widespread and aggressive.
Air raid sirens disrupted the early hours in Bahrain, which serves as the primary base for the US Navy's 5th Fleet, while incoming missiles and drones also targeted Kuwait and Qatar. Although no immediate civilian casualties or infrastructure damage were confirmed in the three Gulf states, the Kuwaiti military confirmed its defensive units were actively engaging and destroying incoming aerial threats.
According to statements released online by US military officials, the operation targeted approximately 90 positions to systematically diminish the capability of Iranian forces to disrupt freedom of navigation. Prior to the outbreak of the war, which commenced with joint US and Israeli strikes on 28 February, nearly 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed daily through the narrow waterway.
Iranian state media reported powerful explosions across multiple maritime hubs and coastal cities, including Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Konarak, and Sirik. Crucially, detonations were also recorded near Bushehr, the site of Iran's primary nuclear power plant complex, raising anxieties over the potential targeting of industrial and energy infrastructure.
Speaking whilst departing a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump distributed footage of the strikes via social media, warning Tehran of increasingly severe consequences if its actions against international shipping persisted. The US president suggested that, while he did not anticipate a protracted campaign, the American military was fully prepared to complete the objective swiftly. He additionally reiterated previous warnings that Washington could target essential civilian networks, including water desalination operations, power grids, and the primary crude export terminal located on Kharg Island.
The current escalation highlights deep strategic divisions within the political structure of Iran. Hardline factions have consistently advocated for permanent military control over the Strait of Hormuz to retain geopolitical leverage against Western powers. Conversely, more pragmatic diplomats have sought to secure a comprehensive peace agreement that could reverse international sanctions and stabilise the domestic economy.
The breakdown of the truce coincides with the conclusion of the formal mourning period for Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening phase of the war in February. Official peace negotiations had been scheduled to commence immediately after the funeral proceedings, with international mediators hoping to address the permanent reopening of the shipping lanes and structural limits on Tehran's nuclear development programme. However, the latest violence has cast significant doubt over the viability of near-term diplomatic resolutions.
