US launches strikes in southern Iran after explosions heard

Washington launched a series of airstrikes against Iranian targets on Thursday, marking the first direct U.S. military response since two commercial tankers—one flagged to Qatar and another to Saudi Arabia—were struck in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day. The strikes, carried out by U.S. Air Force and Navy assets, focused on facilities linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and its affiliated maritime militia, which Washington says were responsible for the attacks on the tankers that were transporting oil through the strategic waterway.

The incidents have heightened concerns over the security of global oil shipments, as the Strait of Hormuz handles roughly a fifth of the world’s petroleum trade. Iranian officials have denied involvement in the tanker attacks, while the United States warned that any further aggression against commercial vessels would prompt additional retaliatory measures. The U.S. strikes aim to deter future threats and restore confidence in the safety of navigation through the region.