After about a month of relative calm, and even as Washington had shifted its focus to the “economic war” against Tehran, hostilities between the U.S. and Iran flared up again. U.S. forces struck missile launchers in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz; Iran responded with attacks on U.S. facilities, and Donald Trump warned that Washington’s next retaliation would be severe.

For the first time since late July, the U.S. Armed Forces announced that they had launched strikes against two missile launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran responded with missiles and attack drones against U.S. facilities in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, while at the same time, Iranian President Masoud Pezeskian stated that his country does not wish for the war to continue.

Donald Trump warned that the new Iranian attacks would not go unanswered.

“There will be retaliation,” and “we will hit them hard,” the U.S. president said, foreshadowing a new response from Washington.

In contrast, Pezeskian argued a short while earlier that continuing the war is “not in the interest of” Iran “nor anyone else’s” in the region, emphasizing that he continues to “work toward reaching an agreement.”

The Iranian president was in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, where he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, whose country has taken on a mediating role. Also attending the summit were, among others, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Why the U.S. Struck Larak Island

According to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes on Larak were carried out when Revolutionary Guard forces were detected preparing to launch missiles loaded with sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian media reported that three people were killed and seven others were wounded in the U.S. strikes.

The resumption of direct military operations comes as the war has now entered its seventh month and diplomatic efforts to end it remain at an impasse.

Jordan shot down eight Iranian missiles

Jordan, which was among the targets of Iranian retaliatory strikes, announced that it shot down eight missiles as they entered the Hashemite Kingdom’s airspace.

The United Arab Emirates, for their part, announced that they had detected an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle over their territorial waters and denounced a “dangerous escalation.”

The Iranian Armed Forces also warned neighboring countries that a “much stronger retaliation” may follow if there is another attack by U.S. forces originating from their territory.

The Revolutionary Guards also announced that they had shot down two U.S. drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

Tanker struck in the Strait of Hormuz

An incident involving a commercial vessel in the area is causing fresh concern.

In the early hours of the morning, the British maritime security agency UKMTO announced that a tanker was struck by three “unidentified projectiles” while sailing toward the exit of the Strait of Hormuz.

In recent weeks, relative calm had prevailed in the region, though sporadic exchanges of fire had not completely ceased, particularly around the strategic maritime passage.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s hydrocarbons passed before the war, is now at the heart of the conflict.

Iran has effectively closed it since the start of the war, which broke out following the U.S.-Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic on February 28.

Brent above $90

The new escalation triggered an immediate reaction in international markets as well, as fears of even greater disruptions to oil supply resurfaced.

The price of North Sea Brent crude, which serves as an international benchmark, once again surpassed the symbolic threshold of $90 per barrel.

The importance of the Strait of Hormuz to the global energy market means that any new military tension in the region immediately puts upward pressure on prices.

The Battle for “Free Passage” in the Strait of Hormuz

In retaliation for the closure of the strait, the U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the Gulf and states that it is ready “to protect the free flow of trade.”

CENTCOM has announced that it has completed the removal of mines from “international shipping lanes.”

The Revolutionary Guards, however, claimed that a very large tanker that “illegally” attempted to cross the strait struck two sea mines.

U.S. Central Command denied the claim, citing “misinformation.”

Negotiations at an impasse

Despite repeated mediation efforts, talks to end the war remain effectively stalled.

The so-called Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed by the presidents of the two countries in mid-June, collapsed less than a month after it was signed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintains that the way forward remains clear.

“The solution is clear and simple: the U.S. must honor the commitments it made” when the agreement was signed, he has stated, adding that then “everything will return to normal.”

Washington’s “economic war”

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has shifted a significant portion of its pressure from the military to the economic arena, intensifying sanctions against Tehran.

This decision is also linked to the fact that war remains particularly unpopular in the United States as the midterm congressional elections approach.

Iran was already facing extensive U.S. and international sanctions, but Washington has announced new measures aimed at further increasing economic pressure.

“We will continue to apply pressure” on Tehran, said U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the start of a series of meetings in the United States with his G20 counterparts.

However, the resumption of direct military strikes after a month of relative de-escalation is once again raising fears that the conflict could enter an even more dangerous phase.

Source: Protothema.gr