Topline
The U.S. launched its latest strikes against Iran on Wednesday, renewing military action against the country as tensions flare over control of the Strait of Hormuz and after President Donald Trump said a ceasefire reached with Iran last month was “over.”
The U.S. launched renewed strikes on Iran on Tuesday in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Key Facts
U.S. Central Command said the strikes are being conducted to lessen Iran’s “ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” adding the U.S. is “holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Trump began sharing a series of videos and photos on Truth Social showing burning buildings, saying the destruction was “retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” though it is unclear if the videos were actually depicting scenes out of Iran on Wednesday night.
The strikes come after the U.S. hit Iran on Tuesday night, which was followed by Iranian strikes against Bahrain and Kuwait.
NEWS PEG
Trump on Wednesday told reporters Iran’s power plants and desalination plants are possible targets in renewed American strikes, returning to his past threats against the country’s civilian infrastructure he repeated at the height of the war. He also mused about “taking over Kharg Island,” a heavily fortified island in the Persian Gulf home to facilities that process an estimated 90% of Iran’s oil exports—which he said was one of the targets of last night’s air strikes. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said he thought the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was “over,” calling further negotiations with Iranian leadership a “waste of time.”
Big Number
$79.09. That’s how much Brent crude oil futures were trading at around 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, contributing to a more than 8% increase in the last five days of trading.
Key Background
The U.S. launched renewed strikes on Iran following attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels included a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi crude oil tanker, Reuters reported, leading to condemnations from both countries and the U.S.—although Iran has not officially taken responsibility for the strikes. Thousands of Iranians are mourning the country’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during U.S. and Israeli air strikes in the early days of the war.