The U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said late Thursday that it had completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes against Iran, as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remained elevated and conflicting signals emerged over the status of commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n
Iran said it retaliated early Friday by launching attacks on U.S. military bases in Gulf countries and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. Iranian media also reported that the latest U.S. strikes had damaged civilian infrastructure, including five bridges and a railway station.<\/p>\n
CENTCOM said the operations were intended to degrade Iran\u2019s military capabilities and \u201chold Iran accountable\u201d for attacks on commercial vessels.<\/p>\n
Data from MarineTraffic indicated that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had largely ground to a halt earlier in the week after Iran again restricted access to the waterway. The United States, meanwhile, reportedly reinstated maritime-interdiction measures against Iran.<\/p>\n
The latest round of hostilities began after Iran attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that the ships had attempted to pass through routes that had not been authorised by Tehran.<\/p>\n
Iran also signalled earlier this week that it could encourage its Houthi allies in Yemen to target shipping in another strategically important passage in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n
U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier in July that the ceasefire with Iran had ended, while the status of a memorandum of understanding reached between the two countries in June remained largely unclear.<\/p>\n
Trump warned that the United States could strike Iranian nuclear and energy facilities unless Tehran agreed to negotiate a new peace agreement.<\/p>\n
Reports also indicated that the president was considering the use of ground forces to seize Iran\u2019s Kharg Island, a strategically important hub for the country\u2019s oil exports.<\/p>\n
The escalating conflict has intensified concerns over the security of global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world\u2019s most important transit routes for crude oil and liquefied natural gas.<\/p>\n
A prolonged disruption to shipping could drive oil prices higher, raise transportation and insurance costs, and increase inflationary pressure across major economies.<\/p>\n
Financial markets are also likely to remain sensitive to any further attacks on energy facilities, commercial vessels, U.S. military bases, or other critical infrastructure in the Gulf region.<\/p>\n
Investors may continue shifting towards traditional safe-haven assets, including gold, the U.S. dollar, and government bonds, as geopolitical uncertainty and the risk of a broader regional conflict remain elevated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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