DUBAI — Iran threatened on Wednesday to halt energy exports from across the Middle East after the United States reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and carried out fresh strikes on military targets linked to Tehran's operations around the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating a conflict that has rattled global energy markets.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said regional energy exports would be at risk if Washington maintained the blockade, while senior Iranian officials described the confrontation as an "existential war" with the United States. The statements followed renewed U.S. military action aimed at degrading Iranian capabilities used to threaten commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. officials.
The latest U.S. strikes came after Washington said Iran had continued attacks on commercial vessels and regional targets despite earlier diplomatic efforts. Iranian authorities reported casualties from the strikes, while U.S. officials said the operation focused on military infrastructure. Reuters could not independently verify all battlefield claims from either side.
The confrontation has intensified concerns over the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas trade normally passes. Oil prices extended gains as traders weighed the risk of further disruption to energy supplies.
Iran also claimed retaliatory missile and drone attacks against locations hosting U.S. forces in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, prompting air raid alerts in parts of the Gulf, according to official statements. Those claims have not been independently verified.
As of publication, no agreement had been announced to ease the latest escalation. Military operations and diplomatic contacts were continuing, and officials on both sides indicated the situation remained fluid.
