USA again launched large-scale strikes on Iran. Oil prices immediately jumped
The US Air Force attacked a number of targets in southern Iran. According to CNN reports, the strikes targeted positions in the area of the strategic city of Bandar Abbas and the port of Sirik. The US Central Command called the operation a series of "powerful strikes" in response to Iran's attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and the violation of previous agreements.
According to a high-ranking American official, Iranian air defense (AD) systems and anti-aircraft missiles; coastal radars and surveillance systems; launch platforms for anti-ship missiles and drones; and port infrastructure facilities were hit.
Iranian state television confirmed explosions east and west of Bandar Abbas, but also stated that commercial and fishing piers in the port of Sirik were damaged.
"Punishment," not a proportionate response
A US official, in a comment to CNN, emphasized that these actions by the Pentagon are not simply a "proportionate response." This is a deliberate "punishment" for Iran, and the American side warned that military strikes may continue.
CENTCOM expressed "deep concern" that Tehran continues to attack vessels and ignores the bilateral memorandum that regulated the framework of US-Iranian negotiations.
Alongside military actions, Washington has intensified economic pressure. The US Treasury Department officially revoked a sanctions waiver that had previously allowed Iran to export oil. The American agency explained that this easing was conditional, and since Iran failed to fulfill its obligations, it is being annulled. Against this backdrop, oil prices have already started to rise on world markets.
The US attack occurred at a very tense moment — multi-day, large-scale funerals for Iran's former leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed as a result of previous US actions, are currently taking place in Iran.
Oil prices reacted to the exchange of strikes between the US and Iran with a sharp rise, which again gives hope to Moscow, which depends on oil and gas revenues to fill its budget.
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