U.S. forces launched another round of attacks inside Iran late Tuesday, hitting multiple locations around the country after a nearly month-long lull in direct exchanges. In a post on X, U.S. Central Command said the operation targeted air defense assets as well as communications and radar installations. The command said the strikes answered what it described as "recent attempted attacks" by Iran targeting American service members and commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran answered by striking at Jordan, a U.S. partner. Jordan's armed forces said the missiles were fired from Iranian territory. A spokesperson for the Jordanian military wrote on X that the country's air defenses knocked out 10 of the 13 missiles, while the remaining three landed in remote areas. Officials reported no injuries or deaths.
Bahrain's interior ministry issued "an alert of potential threat" early Wednesday local time and told people to move to the nearest safe spot. Authorities did not immediately detail what the risk was.
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Oil pushed higher on the news. On Tuesday, Brent finished up 4.5% at $94.52 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate settled around 5% higher at $90.03. Prices in Asia kept climbing Wednesday, with both benchmarks at levels last seen on July 24.
Posting on Truth Social Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump described the latest U.S. strikes as "large and powerful," and cautioned that additional military moves would come if Tehran struck back at what he termed a "very justified attack."
This flare-up follows a brief pause in direct blows. On Sunday, U.S. forces struck rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island that Washington said were being prepared to launch rockets loaded with sea mines toward the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday U.S. time, Iranian forces struck a U.S. base in Jordan. The weekend exchanges were the first in about a month and followed the Trump administration's announcement that it was launching an "economic D-Day" aimed at Tehran's backers.
For your wallet, the through-line is simple: when missiles fly near key oil lanes, energy prices can shift fast. If fuel costs or anything tied to crude is a big line item in your budget, keep an eye on how this tension near the Strait of Hormuz evolves.
