The United States military has launched hundreds of air attacks across Iran over the past week, killing at least 35 people and wounding 300, according to Iranian health officials.
The US, which has reimposed a naval blockade on Iran, said it targeted military sites along the country’s southern coast and near the Strait of Hormuz, despite a ceasefire agreement.
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Iran, meanwhile, carried out attacks on US military facilities across the region, raising fears of a return to all-out war.
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi on Wednesday condemned Iran’s “treacherous” attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, including strikes on infrastructure and facilities that injured Kuwaiti military personnel, saying they risked dragging the region into “further chaos and instability”.
In a statement, al-Budaiwi described the attacks as an unprecedented escalation and accused Iran of disregarding international norms. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have also intercepted incoming missiles and drones in recent days.
Where has the US struck Iran?
Iranian media has reported explosions in several cities and on islands along the country’s southern coast and mainland over the past week: Aqqala, Ahvaz, Bampur, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar, Chabahar port, Dasht-e Azadegan, Dehloran, Farvar, Hajiabad, Hoveyzeh, Iranshahr airport, Isfahan, Jask, Kabudarahang, Khondab, Konark, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Qeshm, Sirik, Vesiyan.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), US strikes occurred in May and June as well, targeting Bandar Abbas, Bandar-e Lengeh, Kong, Qeshm Island and Shahid Raahbar naval base.
Iran’s southern waters are home to more than 30 islands, several of which lie along the Strait of Hormuz and form a defensive arc.
These islands give Iran forward positions to monitor shipping and deploy missiles, drones and naval forces. They also protect key oil and gas infrastructure along one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.
Mehdi Yazdi, a Tehran-based defence analyst, said Iran’s only deterrent lever is the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Iran were to abandon the Strait of Hormuz because of negotiations or anything else, it would not only lose the strait as a pressure lever, but negotiations and other issues would also slip out of Iran’s hands,” added Yazdi.
“In any case, as long as the United States attacks Iran from the countries of the region, Iran also considers attacks on US bases in these countries to be its legitimate target.”
How many ships have passed the Strait of Hormuz since the MoU was signed on June 17?
Before the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28, about 100 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz each day, roughly half of them oil tankers carrying a combined 20 million barrels of crude – about one-fifth of global oil consumption.
The waterway reopened after the preliminary US-Iran agreement announced on June 17. However, ship traffic remained well below normal. According to PortWatch data, only 603 ships transited the strait in the first 25 days after it reopened between June 18 and July 12, averaging 24 ships a day, far below the pre-war average.
Since ships came under attack on June 6-7, the number of vessels passing has reduced. Now, with the US blockade of Iranian ports, the strait could once again come to a standstill.
Can the Houthis close Bab al-Mandeb, the region’s other energy choke point?
Bab al-Mandeb is one of the world’s most strategic maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea and Suez Canal with the Indian Ocean.
Iran has hinted at the closure of the waterway in the case of a major escalation through assistance from the Houthis in Yemen, turning it into a second pressure point alongside the Strait of Hormuz.
If the chokepoint were shut, along with the Strait of Hormuz, a quarter of the world’s energy and a giant chunk of Asia’s exports to Europe would be blocked.
Strait of Hormuz:
27 percent of the global maritime oil trade
20 percent of global LNG trade
Bab al-Mandeb:
11 percent of global maritime trade
8 percent of global LNG trade
Suez Canal:
11 percent of the global maritime trade
