US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington would respond forcefully to Iran after Tehran launched missiles at two American military bases in Jordan. He pledged to strike Iran “hard” following the first direct clash between the two countries in a month.
The Iranian attack was framed by Tehran as retaliation for an earlier US strike on Larak Island, an Iranian position in the Strait of Hormuz. The exchange broke a period of relative calm and returned the two adversaries to open confrontation.
Hours after the base attacks, a tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping channel through which a large share of the world’s seaborne oil passes. The incident raised concern over wider escalation and the security of commercial vessels transiting the waterway.
The renewed fighting follows months of intermittent conflict. The United States had earlier resumed strikes on Iran after an attack on a Jordan base, and Trump has repeatedly threatened further action against Iranian targets.
Trump’s position on the Strait of Hormuz has hardened over the course of the conflict. He previously said he would declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory, a claim Tehran rejected. Any disruption to the channel carries consequences for global energy markets.
The White House has said US personnel were the target of the Monday strikes in Jordan. Officials have not detailed casualties or the extent of damage to the two bases.
The tanker attack in the strait has drawn attention to shipping and sanctions measures, with worries that further incidents could draw more vessels and navies into the confrontation.
Trump has said the US retains the option to expand its military response. No date has been set for any further American action against Iranian targets.