The crisis in the Middle East intensified on Tuesday after the United States said its forces had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid fears of a disruption to global oil supplies.
According to United States Central Command, the operation was carried out after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran against attempting to deploy naval mines in the busy waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy corridors, with roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments passing through the narrow channel each day.
In a separate development, two commercial vessels operating in the area were reportedly damaged by what authorities described as “unknown projectiles,” further heightening tensions in the Gulf.
Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly stepped up retaliatory attacks across the region. State media in Iran said Iranian forces had launched strikes against Israeli and U.S. targets in United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq.
Officials in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also reported intercepting several incoming Iranian missiles to further widen the scope of the conflict.
At the same time, Israel continued its military operations against Iranian-linked targets. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed fresh strikes on sites in Iran as well as in Lebanon.
Israeli authorities said the attacks in Lebanon were aimed at dismantling infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in southern parts of Beirut.
