The United States has launched military strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a significant escalation in regional hostilities.
The operation comes as Iran maintains its declaration closing the critical waterway to all shipping, a move that threatens to disrupt a substantial portion of global oil trade.
According to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing a US administration official, the strikes are a direct response to earlier attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on commercial vessels in the area.
This retaliatory action underscores the intensifying security risks for maritime traffic in one of the world's most vital energy chokepoints.
The development follows a series of US military strikes against targets in southern Iran, which US Central Command confirmed earlier.
The combination of active combat operations and the Iranian-imposed shipping ban creates a high-risk environment for tanker operators and freight forwarders, likely driving up insurance premiums and forcing route diversions.