Topline
The U.S. military conducted fresh strikes against Iran—targeting a drone launch site—while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed they had targeted an American airbase in the region early on Thursday, as tensions between the two sides spiked once again amid ongoing efforts to secure a deal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
People cross a street near a billboard on the facade of a building depicting the Strait of Hormuz with a caption in Persian reading “Forever in Iran’s Hand”, at Vanak Square in Tehran.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Late on Wednesday, officials told various outlets the U.S. military launched strikes targeting a drone control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran and shot down four attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz.
This is the second such instance of U.S. military action in the region this week—which officials have deemed as self-defense strikes—following the Central Command’s strikes on missile launch strikes and mine-laying boats on Monday.
In a statement shared with state media, the IRGC acknowledged the U.S. strikes, calling them an “aggressive…intrusion,” and claimed to have targeted the U.S. airbase from which the attacks originated.
The statement didn’t specify which airbase was targeted and U.S. officials have not commented on this.
In a statement, the military of Kuwait—which hosts several U.S. bases—said its air defenses engaged incoming missile and drone attacks on Thursday.
It’s unclear whether the strikes caused any damage to the U.S.-controlled bases.
How Has This Impacted Oil Prices?
The global oil benchmark Brent Crude futures soared above $98 per barrel early on Thursday after reports of the attacks emerged, after having dropped to $94 a day earlier on hopes of a quick deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate also briefly crossed $92 per barrel after having fallen below the $90 mark a day earlier.